‘Like giving your lungs a sunburn’: expert as mini Metro Vancouver heat wave continues

As Metro Vancouver continues to swelter in another heat wave, the weather is making it tough for some people to breathe.

CityNews Meteorologist Michael Kuss says there is a cooldown on the way for Friday, but Thursday is going to be really hot.

“In fact, today is going to feel warmer than Wednesday by a degree or two. Actual readings [will be] 27-28 degrees near the water but feeling like 32 to 33 degrees and then inland feeling as warm as 38 degrees, but actual readings up near 33 degrees.”

Kuss thinks we could set some records Thursday across the region, ahead of possible thunderstorms Friday.

Read more: Heat warning in effect, cooling centres open across Lower Mainland

For those who have underlying health conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or asthma, the heat can be downright dangerous as many struggle to breathe.

President and CEO of the BC Lung Foundation, Christopher Lam, says trying to stay cool is already putting your body into overdrive.

“If you have COPD, one of the biggest things that’s happening for you is there will be an exacerbation of your ability to breathe. Your body is already working so hard to try and breathe at its current capacity that your body is working extra hard to keep itself cool. If you have asthma, there’s also the exacerbation of ground-level air pollution and that can be quite significant for people who are trying to breathe in what’s known as ground-level ozone and it’s like giving your lungs a sunburn.”

He adds one in five people in B.C. currently live with a lung disease. Lam says it’s crucial for people to check in on each other and do what they can to stay cool.

“Find your way to cooling centres. You can check your municipalities’ websites for where local cooling centres are. If it means you have to spend some time in the food court at the mall or go check out a movie at the movie theatre, find those air-conditioned settings,” he added.

“It is absolutely important to keep your own indoor environment cool as well. Things you can do at home [include] making sure you block those windows, especially if you have large ones. Put on foil, if that’s what you have [as a] low-cost option, and make sure you put it on the outside of the windows, so you don’t trap heat inside your house.”

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• B.C. heatwave results in 16 suspected deaths across the province

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Lam says it’s also key to be careful of how much you’re using your fan.

“When temperatures rise to a certain degree, those fans are actually just blowing hot air around. So, be mindful of your fan use.”

Another way to stay cool is drinking a lot of water — not alcohol or any sugary drinks.

With files from Robyn Crawford