The first heat event of the summer has officially arrived.
Environment Canada has issued a special heat warning weather statement for much of BC, including Greater Victoria, east Vancouver Island and inland Vancouver Island.
On Monday, July 25th, the weather agency said a heatwave will impact the province this week starting on Monday and lasting until Friday or Saturday, thanks to a strong ridge of high pressure.
It’ll be hottest in the late afternoon and early evening and the coolest near sunrise.
In Greater Victoria, daytime high temperatures will be 33° to 37° inland and 21° to 25° by the water. It’ll be around 15° to 16° in the early morning hours.
As shown above, it will remain sunny the rest of the week (finally a long stretch of sun), but officials are reminding the public to expect an “increase in health and safety risks” and advise people to take precautions.
Those at the greatest risk are children, older adults, pregnant women, people working or exercising outdoors, and people with chronic illnesses.
For resources on heat-related illnesses, you can check out HealthLink BC or call them at 8-1-1.
Since last year’s extreme temperatures, many changes have been made in how the province handles the extreme heat, including implementing a coordinated provincial heat alert and response system (HARS).
The BC HARS system, launched on June 6th, will issue a Broadcast Intrusive alert for extreme heat emergencies through the national public alerting system and aims to ensure people across the province stay safe during future heat events.
In addition, the City of Victoria introduced several new strategies to ensure public safety, including deploying a dozen misting stations. Found at key locations across town, select stations will be accompanied by shade tents, drinking water, and trained support staff.
The BC government is reminding people to keep themselves and others safe while pointing to its Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide, which shares tips on keeping cool, including taking cold showers and staying hydrated.
