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Environment Canada issued weather warnings for much of B.C. Wednesday, with temperatures set to hit the mid 30s and higher in some regions, and wildfire smoke deteriorating air quality throughout much of the province.
Some of the worst of the heat is expected in the Fraser Canyon, an area grappling with major wildfires, where temperatures could reach 40 C Wednesday afternoon, according to the federal government’s weather service.
The Okanagan can expect highs in the mid to high 30s.
In Metro Vancouver, daytime highs are expected to reach the low to mid 30s, with temperatures closer to 20 C near the water.
Temperatures in the low 30s are forecast for eastern and inland Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
A cooling trend is expected to begin Thursday.
‘Sweltering’ indoor temperatures
People who are seniors, live alone or have pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart or respiratory disease and mental illness such as schizophrenia are the most at risk, the weather warnings say.
New Westminster senior Michael Reppenhagen said his apartment was ‘sweltering’ Wednesday afternoon.
Reppenhagen, 69, said two cold showers the day before weren’t enough to cool him down.
The heat affects him both physically and mentally, he said.
“My brain just … it doesn’t want to behave well.”
Reppenhagen was one of 10 Metro Vancouver residents CBC supplied with a heat sensor over the summer of 2023, two years after a deadly heat dome in the region. The temperature in his apartment was frequently over 26 C, which is considered by experts to be the maximum safe indoor temperature, and went as high as 32 C.
New Westminster senior Michael Reppenhagen struggles with the heat in his apartment. (CBC)
In June of this year, New Westminster city council amended a bylaw to require that occupied rental units have at least one living space where the temperature does not exceed 26 C between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., from April to October.
How property owners and landlords comply with the bylaw is up to them.
Reppenhagen said his building has a heat pump, but it doesn’t cool the place down.
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How some B.C. municipalities are trying to tackle increasingly hot homes
CBC News measured temperatures inside 10 Metro Vancouver homes this summer and found many reached dangerous highs.
Across the straight in downtown Nanaimo, Janine Morton of Red’s Bakery said they made the decision to stay closed Wednesday because there were so few people downtown due to the heat.
“The decrease in people that have been down here in the last two days, it’s drastic.”
Check in on neighbours, friends
The warnings are coded yellow by Environment and Climate Change Canada, which means impacts are moderate, localized and/or short term.
Environment Canada advises people to check in on family, friends or neighbours who are higher risk, especially if they live alone, to make sure they can cool off.
The warnings also advise people to watch out for signs of heat illness, such as heavy sweating, rash, cramps, fainting and high body temperatures.
People in overheated areas should seek out cooler spaces such as tree-shaded areas, splash pads, misting stations or air conditioned buildings, the notice says.
Government officials advise seeking out cooler spaces like splash pads during extreme heat. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Air quality also a concern
Air quality warnings due to wildfire smoke are also in effect for much of the province. In Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, this is due to the combination of hot weather and wildfire smoke from the Brunswick Complex fires near Boston Bar.
Those warnings advise limiting outdoor activity and reducing activity duration and intensity.
In most parts of the province, the air quality warning is yellow, meaning moderate impact, but in the Peace region, including Fort St. John and Chetwynd, it is orange, meaning the impacts are more severe.
Smoke across the Skeena region is expected to thin out during the day Wednesday but persist in valley bottoms overnight.
The warnings advise keeping windows and doors closed, staying aware of symptoms such as wheezing or chest pains, and seeking out cool, air-conditioned spaces if a home is smoky or hot.
