Western heat shifts in some areas of B.C., territories, but still blazing elsewhere

Record heat eased for parts of British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories on Wednesday, but Environment Canada warned relief is still days away for eastern B.C. and the Prairies.

The weather office has lifted heat warnings for Yukon, parts of northern B.C. and the N.W.T. along the Mackenzie River, but conditions elsewhere remained dangerously hot from southern and central B.C. east to Manitoba.

The village of Lytton, B.C., set a Canadian heat record Tuesday for the third consecutive day as temperatures reached 49.6 C, edging the 47.9 C mark set there on Monday.

Forecasters are calling for temperatures into the low 40s for B.C.’s Interior regions until Friday. 

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba likely won’t see cooling until next week, but conditions that have left Yellowknife sweltering in 30 C heat were expected to lift by the end of the day.

The heat forced some communities and cities in the Interior region to cancel or change operations. Kamloops closed a vaccination clinic due to a lack of air conditioning in the building, while the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc nation cancelled all events until July 5 because of the heat.

The weather office says the shift to cooler temperatures in B.C. is being followed by unsettled conditions, raising the chance of wildfires as intense thunderstorms are possible from B.C.’s southern Interior to northeast corner.

Temperatures receded in parts of Metro Vancouver, but some residents said the recent record-breaking heat would force them to be better prepared for next time.

Archie and Clem Anos spent part of Wednesday at Vancouver’s New Brighton Park, with both saying the drop in temperatures was a welcome relief.

“Monday, I went to work and it was awful,” said Clem Anos. “We tried to open the window but it was hot air coming inside.”

Archie Anos said he and his wife had air conditioning in their home, but it only helped so much.

The couple said they will invest in a better air conditioner unit before the next heat wave hits.

Ruth Miller said she, her partner and six-month-old daughter spent large parts of Monday and Tuesday indoors to avoid the heat.

Miller, who was relaxing with her daughter in the shade at the park, said her home doesn’t have an air conditioner and the couple used fans to try to stay cool. The family bought a paddling pool, stayed indoors and tried to only go to places that had air conditioning, she said.

Fortunately, Miller said, her daughter didn’t seem to notice the heat.

“She didn’t actually notice, she didn’t cry or anything. I just worried and woke up every hour in the night,” she said.

Miller said she and her partner have already discussed ways to better manage a heat wave when one next hits.

Vancouver police said in a statement posted to Twitter that 53 sudden deaths were reported Tuesday, which they attributed to the heat wave.

In all, 47 heat records were broken in B.C. on Tuesday while 38 fell in Alberta.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2021.

The Canadian Press