The blazing temperatures raise concerns about the impact of climate change. As police said the heat likely contributed to the ‘sudden’ death.
Police in western Canada said record temperatures could be linked to a series of “sudden” deaths as the heat forced the province of British Columbia to close schools. Issue a warning about flooding from melting glaciers. and encourage people to stay indoors
In a statement on Tuesday Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Burnaby east of Vancouver said they had responded to “More than 25 sudden death calls” in the 24 hours since Monday.
While the death is still under investigation. The police force said the heat was “Contributing factors”
; among most of them. Many of the deceased were elderly people.“Check your neighbors. check family members Check out any seniors you may know,” said Burnaby RCMP spokesman Mike Kalanj.
“We see this weather as potentially life-threatening for members of our vulnerable community. especially the elderly and people with health problems. It is imperative that we check with each other during this hot weather.”
People cool off at Lake Alouette during the heat of a heatwave in Maple Ridge, British Columbia on June 28. [Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters]
A social media post with tips for staying cool without air conditioning went viral on Monday. In provinces where fewer than 40% of houses have air conditioning.
City of Lytton, in central British Columbia. About 200 km (124 miles) north of Vancouver, temperatures of 46.6°C (115.88°F) were reported on Sunday. before the weekend The record high in Canada was 45°C, located in Saskatchewan in 1937, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Greg Flato, senior researcher on environment and climate change, said sustained heat was unusual for the Pacific Northwest. who are accustomed to the rain that falls longer than the sun and caused by high pressure systems that do not move Canada is located in Victoria.
“The temperature is very hot during the day. The night was not so cold. and quite still Compared to normal weather events here on the west coast … across the Pacific Ocean. [Ocean] and wipe us out,” Flato said.
“It makes my homeland where the climate changes. Science has been telling us for a long time. But let’s really dive into it while we’re here and have to lie down in the basement to cool off – it really drives that house.”
other Canadians It also expressed concerns about the impact of global warming on the country.
“Climate change is a public health emergency. And we need to treat it like one,” GreenBC leader Sonia Fürstenau. Green said on Twitter, “BC is now facing the reality of extreme weather events or wildfires every summer.”
‘Steroids for the weather’
Environment Canada senior meteorologist David Phillips told CTV News that climate change is likely to exacerbate heatwaves and other weather events. More volatile and intense described as “Steroids for the weather”
BC broke the record for most 911 calls as emergency workers received about 8,000 text messages on Friday.
BC officials have issued a series of flood alerts in response to the accelerating snow melt rate. Canada’s Natural Resources Warns of “Severe” Wildfire Risk
Yan Boulanger, a forest ecologist at the department, said: “The temperature is in an unfamiliar area.” “Those wildfire indexes are very high. very high right now.”
