Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued weather alerts for several parts of the province, including the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) regions, as we experience a stretch of high temperatures.
ECCC has issued a heat warning for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast and Sea-to-Sky region until August 12.
A heat warning is in effect for parts of Metro Vancouver, including Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey and Langley, as well as the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast, and Sea to Sky regions, which include Howe Sound, Whistler and Pemberton. Temperatures could reach 33°C during the day with overnight lows around 16°C.
Medical Health Officers from Fraser Health and VCH encourage people to take steps to reduce heat-related risks, and emphasize water safety, as people seek to cool off in rivers, streams and at beaches throughout their regions.
The BC Centre for Disease Control provides a broad range of heat-related guidance on its website, including information on the different types of heat alerts, how to prepare for hot temperatures, symptoms of heat-related illnesses, those most at risk during hot weather and ways to stay cool.
Preparing for and responding to hot weather
- Identify a cooler space in your home and prepare it so you can stay there at night, if possible.
- Keep track of temperatures in your home using a thermostat or thermometer. Health risks due to heat can increase at indoor temperatures of 26°C and higher and sustained indoor temperatures over 31°C can be unsafe.
- If you have air conditioning at home, make sure it is in good working order and use it as necessary.
- If you do not have air conditioning at home:
- Close windows, curtains and blinds during the heat of the day to block the sun and prevent hotter outdoor air from coming inside. Open doors and windows when it is cooler outside to move that cooler air indoors.
- Do not rely on fans as your primary means of cooling. Fans can be used to draw cooler late-evening, overnight and early-morning air indoors.
- Find somewhere you can cool off on hot days. Consider places in your community to spend time indoors such as libraries, community centres, movie theatres or malls. Also, as temperatures may be hotter inside than outside, consider outdoor spaces with lots of shade and running water.
- If your home gets very hot, consider staying with a friend or relative who has air conditioning if possible.
- Identify people who may be at high risk for heat-related illness. If possible, help them prepare for heat and plan to check in on them.
Who is most at risk?
It is important to monitor yourself, family members, neighbours and friends during hot weather.
Consider developing a check-in system for those who are at high risk of heat-related illness.
Everyone is at risk of heat-related illness, but hot temperatures can be especially dangerous for:
- older adults
- people who live alone
- people with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression or anxiety
- people with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or respiratory disease
- people with substance use disorders
- people with limited mobility and other disabilities
- people who are marginally housed
- people who work in hot environments
- people who are pregnant
- infants and young children
Your health:
- Stay in cool spaces as much as possible.
- Drink plenty of water and other non-alcoholic liquids to stay hydrated, even if you are not thirsty.
- Spray your body with water, wear a damp shirt, take a cool shower or bath or sit with part of your body in water to cool down.
- Take it easy and avoid strenuous activities, especially during the hottest hours of the day.
- When outside, stay in the shade and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
- Take immediate action to cool down if you are overheating. Signs of overheating include feeling unwell, headache and dizziness. Overheating can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
- Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, severe headache, muscle cramps, extreme thirst and dark urine. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should seek a cooler environment, drink plenty of water, rest, use water to cool your body and monitor your symptoms.
- Signs of heat stroke include loss of consciousness, disorientation, confusion, high body temperature, severe nausea or vomiting and very dark urine or no urine. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. If you find someone who displays symptoms of heat stroke, call 9-1-1. While waiting for help, cool the person right away by moving them to a cool place, if you can, and applying cold water to large areas of the skin.
Water safety and beach water quality
The warmer weather will also cause rapid snow melt, leading to high rivers and streams throughout the province so please keep water safety in mind.
VCH and Fraser Health work with Metro Vancouver, local governments, and other agencies to monitor beach water quality throughout the swimming season. This includes the routine collection and testing of water samples for E. coli (an indicator of contamination with feces, a risk to health). The Beach Water Monitoring Program is based on the information in the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. Beach water advisories and Information on the latest test results are mapped online at vch.ca and fraserhealth.ca.
Where to get care
In the event of a medical emergency, British Columbians are advised to call 9-1-1. However, it is also important to use these systems responsibly to avoid overwhelming the system. Ahead of the busy summer months, BC Emergency Health Services in partnership with E-Comm, is reminding British Columbians to only dial 9-1-1 for serious or life-threatening injuries.
When to call 9-1-1:
- In general: When there is chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, severe burns, choking, convulsions that are not stopping, a drowning, a severe allergic reaction, a head injury, signs of a stroke, a major trauma.
- More specifically related to hot weather: Severe headache, confusion, unsteadiness, loss of thirst, nausea/vomiting and dark or no urine are signs of dangerous heat-related illness.
If you have a less urgent health issue:
- You can call HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1 and speak with a nurse or go to an urgent care centre or clinic if you can do so safely. That way, emergency medical dispatch staff and paramedics will be available for people who need their services the most.
- There are also online tools at healthlinkbc.ca, including a “Check Your Symptoms” tool.
- In the Fraser Health region, call Fraser Health Virtual Care at 1-800-314-0999 to speak with a registered nurse from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven-days-a-week.
About the BC Heat Alert and Response System (BC HARS)
- The BC HARS includes two levels of alerts: Heat warning and extreme heat emergency.
- A heat warning is issued when the weather is expected to be very hot and there is a moderate public health risk. An extreme heat emergency is issued when the weather is expected to be dangerously hot and there is a very high public health risk.
- An extreme heat emergency has not been issued.
More information can be found in B.C.’s Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide, vch.ca and fraserhealth.ca/sunsafety.