Extreme heat can put your health at risk, causing illnesses such as heat stroke or even death. Protecting yourself, your family, and other potentially vulnerable people in your life is essential.
It is important to stay safe during such extreme temperatures. Avoid working or intense exercising if it is very hot or humid outside, and head for cooler conditions if your body becomes overheated. If working outdoors is necessary, drink plenty of liquids and take frequent rest breaks. Be sure to maintain salt levels in your body and avoid high-protein foods. Pets also need to be protected from the heat, giving them plenty of water to drink. Watch for severe medical conditions, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Heat events in British Columbia are classified into two levels, a Heat Warning when conditions are very hot, and there is a moderate risk to public health, and an Extreme Heat Emergency when conditions are dangerously hot and have a very high risk to public health.
A level one Heat Warning occurs when two or more consecutive days in which daytime maximum temperatures are expected to reach or exceed regional temperature thresholds and nighttime minimum temperatures are expected to be above regional temperature thresholds, with a 5% increase in mortality. A day-night-day temperature of 29-16-29 degrees Celsius would be required.
A level two Extreme Heat Event (EHE) is also described as a heat wave or heat dome. A heat dome occurs when an area of high pressure stays over the same place for days or weeks, trapping hot air underneath. The definition of an extreme heat event varies based on many factors, including geographic location and weather conditions such as temperature, humidity and cloud cover, as well as the duration of the event. During this type of event, the temperature is much hotter than average for a particular time and place, with a 20% increase in mortality. This type of heat event happens once or twice per decade in the south island and requires level one temperature criteria to be met along with the forecast indicating daily highs will substantively increase day-over-day for three or more consecutive days.
A Heat Warning or an Extreme Heat Emergency will typically be identified three to four days before the hottest temperatures occur. Island Health, supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada, will distribute alerts when heat events are a moderate or high risk to the public's health.