Monday July 26, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
A special weather statement in effect for the Greater Victoria area, as issued by Environment Canada at 5:26 pm this evening, July 26.
A strengthening ridge of high pressure will bring increasing temperatures to the south coast later this week. Daytime high temperatures will rise 3 to 5 degrees Celsius compared to today and Tuesday, pushing the temperatures into the high 20’s near the water to low 30’s inland. Overnight lows will also rise into the mid- to high-teens.
The time frame with the hottest weather will be from Thursday to Saturday (July 29 to 31). The highest temperatures are expected to be in the Fraser Valley, Sea to Sky region, and inland Vancouver Island.
This week’s heat event is *not* caused by a heat dome (as was the case last month at the end of June), but the temperatures are in fact higher than normal for this time of year. A heat dome is an ‘extreme weather’ event.
Risks of heat illness:
Watch for the effects of heat illness: swelling, rash, cramps. fainting, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and the worsening of some health conditions.
The risks are greater for young children, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic illnesses and people working or exercising outdoors.
To stay hydrated, drink plenty of water even before you feel thirsty and stay in a cool place.
Fans and air conditioning are recommended for indoor spaces. Some public locations — such as shopping malls, libraries and community centres — offer air conditioned indoor environments, where people can go to cool off.
If there is also smoky air (drifting in from wildfires), air filtration is also recommended.
If it’s a matter of heat vs smoke, health officials say to protect yourself first from over-heating, then try to avoid breathing smoky air.
No precipitation for three more weeks:
Other aspects to the weather forecast include no measurable precipitation through to mid-August (according to CTV News – Vancouver Island, this evening).
This continuing drought (June was also exceptionally dry) takes a toll on water supply levels in the region. These drought conditions see the Capital Regional District (CRD) encouraging households and businesses to conserve water.
Updates to the Environment Canada forecasts:
Continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to BCstorm@canada.ca or Tweet reports using #BCStorm .
