'Record-breaking heat' on the way for Vancouver Island, highs of 37 C possible
Environment Canada is warning that a “dangerous long-duration heat wave” could push temperatures as high as 37 C on Vancouver Island over the next few days.
The warning covers a large swath of the region from Greater Victoria to Nanaimo, Courtenay, Campbell River, the southern Gulf Islands and inland Vancouver Island communities.
Temperatures will peak between Friday and Tuesday, with humidity levels pushing the perceived temperatures potentially as high as the low 40s, according to the weather service.
“An exceptionally strong ridge of high pressure will develop over British Columbia, likely resulting in record-breaking temperatures,” Environment Canada said in a statement Thursday.
“The duration of this heat wave is concerning as there is little relief at night with elevated overnight temperatures,” the weather service said. “This record-breaking heat event will increase the potential for heat-related illnesses.”
Similar heat warnings cover most of British Columbia over the next few days
The weather office says high temperatures will raise some river levels due to glacier melt, increase the risk of wildfires as forests dry out and boost the potential for illnesses linked to heat or air quality as the high-pressure lid traps stagnant air over much of B.C.
Residents are encouraged to drink plenty of water even before feeling thirsty and watch for symptoms of heat illness, such as dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat and fainting.
Outdoor workers should take regularly scheduled breaks in a cool place.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.