Saturday June 25, 2022 | LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Wow, finally, this is the first hot stretch of summer heat for the south coast!
The Environment Canada forecast for Greater Victoria shows daytime highs rising into the upper 20’s but overnight lows down to mid-teen temperatures, for this weekend June 25 and 26, into Monday June 27. Avoid becoming over-heated says Island Health.
Inland areas of Vancouver Island and Sunshine Coast are within the special weather statement issued by Environment Canada at 3:43 am this morning.
Coming suddenly on the heels of a very cool spring and start of summer, this weekend’s weather sees warmer than average temperatures.
- Temperatures away from the water are forecast to be in the mid to upper 20’s this weekend.
- On Monday, temperatures may reach 30 locally.
Not like the 2021 heat dome:
This series of a few days of hot weather is not like the heat dome of late June 2021. That’s because there will be some respite from the elevated daytime temperatures as overnight lows fall into the mid-teens.
Earlier this month the BC government announced a heat-warning alert system, responding to the tragedy of 619 deaths during the 2021 heat dome that were ultimately a result of poor guidance on how dangerous the heat would be as well as insufficient resources like ambulance availability levels and availability (or awareness about) cooling centres.
Stay cool:
Use fans or air conditioners to keep interior spaces cool.
Keep drapes or blinds closed over windows during the day to keep out the heat, but open the windows again around 8 pm to let in cool evening air.
Drink water before you feel dehydrated.
Great news for gardeners:
Veggie gardens and commercial crops on south Vancouver Island have been lagging behind this year by at least-two months. This weekend’s heat is welcome news for plant growth.
Buckerfield’s garden and farm supplier said earlier this spring that this presented unexpected scenarios for garden-supply retailers.
Avoid heat stress:
With elevated temperatures, the risk of heat-related illness increases.
“This is not a heat warning or an extreme heat emergency, but we will experience the first high temperatures of the summer,” says Island Health in their June 24 Preparing for Summer Weather advisory.
Island Health lists these people as being at higher risk during warmer weather:
The most susceptible individuals include:
- Older adults, especially those over 60
- people who live alone
- people with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or respiratory disease
- people with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, or anxiety
- people with substance use disorders
- people with limited mobility
- people who are marginally housed
- people who work in hot environments
- people who are pregnant
- infants and young children
Stream flow increases:
There will also be an increase in snowmelt and snowpack instability. Increased stream flows due to run-off are possible.
Although heat is expected, bodies of water still remain cool for this time of year and may pose a risk of hypothermia with prolonged exposure.
Back to normal next week:
Temperatures are expected to return to near-normal values by the middle of next week as a cooler, unsettled airmass pushes onshore.
Monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, email to BCstorm@ec.gc.ca or tweet reports using #BCStorm.
===== RELATED (by Island Social Trends):
BC launches preparedness plan for heat events (June 8, 2022)
BC Coroners report on extreme heat deaths dedicated to the victims (June 7, 2022)
Meteorologist tells UBCM: heat dome was no surprise (September 15, 2021)
Prepare for heat waves ahead of time (August 12, 2021)
Smoky air is a health hazard, but heat trumps that (July 24, 2021)