Western Canada heat wave is expected to break daily average temperature records

Western Canada heat wave is expected to break daily average temperature records

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From British Columbia to southern Saskatchewan, to the Yukon and Northwest Territories, the heat wave across western Canada will break daily and all-time high temperature records earlier this year than usual.

Armel Castellan, an early warning and disaster preparedness meteorologist at Environment Canada, said that high pressure is trapped under the “hot dome” and cannot be blown across the country by the wind. It will generate long-lasting high temperatures wherever the pressure is. .

“Then the temperature will rise the day before,” he said.

“So you wake up in the morning, and the weather is warmer than the day before.”

Temperatures in western Canada this weekend and next week will be above average. (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News)

Castellan said that the highest temperature in BC is expected on Sunday and Monday, while Alberta will have the highest temperature early next week.

Temperatures in parts of BC this weekend and next week may be close to 40 degrees Celsius, early next week in Alberta.

In Kamloops, British Columbia, the temperature is expected to hover around 40 or 41 degrees Celsius for six consecutive days.

“No one has seen this situation because it never happened and it is not documented,” Castellan said.

He said that there is almost no probation expected overnight because the overnight low will remain between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius.

Castellan said the problem was the overnight temperature. They will not drop enough to allow our bodies to recover from the long and hot days.

High temperature warnings are still in effect in most parts of BC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News)

“Even if we are in the shade, if we have to deal with temperatures up to more than 30 degrees — in fact, parts of southern BC even reach more than 40 degrees and eventually enter Alberta — these values ??are so extreme that we My body needs to recover,” Castellan said.

This is where observing heat-related diseases (including heat exhaustion and heat stroke) becomes crucial. Symptoms of heat-related illness This includes, but is not limited to, profuse sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea, headache, and muscle cramps.

As the heat wave swept across the province, Vancouverites arrived at the beach on June 25, 2021. (Ben Nilms/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

As trees and grassland dry out and produce more fuel, the increase in heat increases the risk of other climate emergencies, including forest fires.

Castellan said that before Sunday afternoon, the probability of lightning strikes in BC is zero, so if there is any fire, it is likely to be caused by man.

The consequences of climate change

Castellan said that all of this is the result of climate change.

“The important thing here is not [temperature] Today itself is because, of course, the forecast will not be perfect, it may be lower or higher than a few degrees,” he said.

“It is important to realize that this is part of what climate change has brought to us: more frequent, higher amplitude and longer lasting high temperature events.”

Simon Donner, an interdisciplinary climate scientist and professor of geography at the University of British Columbia, said that this kind of heat wave is what scientists have been warning about because human activities, especially if we don’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions, will become More common.

“As the climate warms, it basically means that it is changing the distribution of the weather,” he said.

“So we will have more activities like this, and fewer cool summers.”

As the night temperature is still high in the next few days, sleep will become a challenge for many people who do not have air conditioning in their homes. During extreme weather, people, infrastructure, and ecosystems will be difficult to manage.

Downer said that this is the nature of climate change.

Climate change is not inherently a bad thing,” he said. “The problem is that the speed of climate change is beyond our ability to adapt.

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