Heat Event

Refer to the Province of BC’s comprehensive heat event resources at preparedbc.ca/extremeheat

What is extreme heat?

An Extreme Heat Emergency is when daytime and nighttime temperatures get hotter every day and are well above seasonal norms.

Extreme heat is dangerous for the health and wellbeing of our communities and is responsible for the highest number of weather-related deaths annually.

Heat Warning

Two or more consecutive days in which daytime maximum temperatures are expected to reach or exceed regional temperature thresholds and nighttime minimum temperatures are expected to be above regional temperature thresholds.

A moderate increase in public health risk.

Extreme Heat Emergency

Heat warning criteria have been met and daytime maximum temperatures are expected to substantively increase day over day for three or more consecutive days.

A very high increase in public health risk.

Temperature thresholds for the Fraser Health Authority region are as follows:

• Southwest: daytime high of 29 C, nighttime low of 16 C
• Fraser East: daytime high of 33 C, nighttime low of 17 C

A heat warning would be called for the Fraser Health region if either the 29 degree threshold is met in Southwest B.C. (as measured at YVR Airport) or if the 33 degree threshold is met in Faster East (as measured at Abbotsford Airport).

Recommendations and resources to prepare ahead of time

Planning is key to making sure you are ready for a heat event. If you are able, please make sure you have some of the following:

• Air conditioning unit in at least one room if possible
• Two weeks’ worth of any medication (both routine and flare-up/emergency) and inhalers
• Someone to check-up on you regularly if you live alone
• Window coverings to block out heat (call 211 to see if there are subsidies/rebates for cooling measures for your home)
• Portable air cleaners or air filters for your HVAC systems for potential smoke
• Cold packs in your freezer
• Lightweight clothing and linen
• Fans to bring cold air in from outside at night
• A space in the coolest part of your home, such as the basement, once outside temperatures reach 31°C

Ask a health professional how medications or health conditions can affect your risk in the heat.

Stay up-to-date – weather can change quickly. Tune in to weather forecasts and heat alerts. Use a weather app like WeatherCAN.

We also encourage you to have a plan should you need to leave your home due to the heat. This may include planning to stay with family or a friend, or relocating to cooling centres in your community during the hottest part of the days.

These images tell you what the current heat warning status is for the City of White Rock.

Tips to keep you cool and healthy during the heat 

• Drink plenty of water even before you feel thirsty and stay in a cool place.
• Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and how to respond.
• Check in with friends, family and neighbours, especially those who may be more susceptible to heat illness, who are living alone and without air conditioning.
• If you have a window air conditioner, place it in a room you can close off from the rest of your home. Use the room as your cooling off space and try to stay in there as much as possible during the hottest parts of the day.
• It can get dangerously, life-threateningly hot indoors without air conditioning (AC). If it reaches 31 degrees Celsius indoors, it is time to relocate to a cool, shady outdoor space, a community cooling centre, or stay with a friend or family.
• If you don’t have AC at home, there are some other things you can do to stay cool:
  • Take lukewarm baths/showers to cool down. Even footbaths can help.
  • Wear a wet shirt or apply damp towels to your skin.
  • Keep your home cooler by shading the windows from the outside using awnings or shutters or from the inside using curtains or blinds (wherever possible).
  • Seek a cool place such as a tree-shaded area, swimming pool, shower/bath, or air-conditioned spot like a public building.
  • Stay with friends or family who have air conditioning or a basement.
• Fans in the window can provide indoor cooling when the temperature outside is lower than the temperature inside. However, in high heat, fans aimed at people do not bring down our body temperatures significantly, particularly for people who already have impaired cooling responses. At temperatures of 35C or higher, fans can actually increase body temperature.
• For people who are elderly or have pre-existing conditions, fans are not recommended during heat warning events, as people may feel cooler on the outside while not cooling down on the inside. In these cases it is important to monitor temperatures and take the precautions on this page.
• Schedule outdoor activities only during the coolest time of the day, avoiding 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. when temperatures and sunlight are at their highest.
• If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of non-alcoholic fluids each hour. Limit outdoor activity during the day to early morning and evening.
• Never leave people or pets inside a parked vehicle during warm weather.
• If you have children in your home, make sure you’ve taken precautions to prevent falls from windows and balconies.

Signs of Heat Exhaustion

• Skin rash
• Heavy sweating
• Dizziness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Rapid breathing and heartbeat
• Headache
• Difficulty concentrating
• Muscle cramps
• Extreme thirst
• Dark urine and decreased urination

Anyone with these symptoms should be moved to a cool space, given plenty of water to drink, and cooled down with water applied to the skin (e.g. cold shower, submerging body or legs in a cool bath, wearing a wet shirt, applying damp towels to the skin).

Signs of Heat Stroke

• High body temperature
• Fainting or decreased consciousness
• Confusion
• Lack of coordination
• Very hot and red skin

If you think someone might have heat stroke, call 9-1-1 or seek medical attention immediately. Submerge some or all of the body in cool water, remove clothes and apply wet towels.

Some individuals are at higher risk for heat-related illness, including:

• Seniors aged 60 years or older. They may be particularly susceptible if they are socially isolated, or live in older buildings without air conditioning
• People who live alone
• People with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or respiratory disease
• People taking certain medications*, including high blood pressure medicines, antidepressants, antipsychotics or anti-Parkinson’s agents.
• People with mental illness such as schizophrenia, depression, or anxiety
• People with substance use disorders
• People with limited mobility, including those who are confined to bed, need assistance with daily living or who have sensory/cognitive impairment
• People who are socially disadvantaged due to low income, being homeless or living alone
• Newcomers to Canada
• Occupational groups who work outdoors or who have increased physical strain
• People who are physically active with increased physical strain with a reduced perception of risk
• People who are pregnant
• Infants and young children

*If you are taking medication, particularly for mental illness, heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether it increases your health risk in the heat and follow their recommendations.