Canada currently reports the highest temperatures since records began at just under 50 degrees Celsius. The extreme heat is dangerous for many people.
Vancouver – Heavy storms with heavy rain and squalls have caused severe damage * in Germany in recent days. The weather * situation is even more extreme in Canada at the moment. The ongoing heat wave in the west of the country is setting new temperature records – and more than 100 deaths.
Extreme heat in Canada: 49.5 degrees Celsius – “Hottest week British Columbia has ever experienced”
“We are in the middle of the hottest week British Columbia has ever seen,” said John Horgan, British Columbia Prime Minister, at a press conference. On Tuesday (June 29), the weather service on the Canadian west coast recorded the highest temperatures since records began for the third day in a row. In the place Lytton 49.5 degrees Celsius were measured.
Horgan called on citizens to look for anyone who might be at risk. People should keep cold compresses in the refrigerator and stay in the coolest part of the house. Because: According to media reports, the heat wave has already cost dozens of lives in Canada *. TV broadcaster CBC reported more than 100 sudden deaths that were reported to police in British Columbia. Extreme heat is seen as a contributory cause in the majority of cases.
Extreme heat in Canada: More than 100 sudden deaths reported
In Vancouver alone, 65 people have died since last Friday (June 25), including numerous elderly people with previous illnesses, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). In the city of Burnaby, east of the west coast metropolis, more than 25 people died suddenly in a period of 24 hours. “Although this is still under investigation, the heat plays a role in the majority of deaths,” said the police.
“It is imperative that we take care of each other in this extreme heat,” said police spokesman Mike Kalanj. According to warnings from the Canadian Ministry of the Environment, the extreme heat wave will continue in the coming days. Several air-conditioned centers have been set up in Vancouver where people can find refuge from the heat.
Extreme heat: USA also affected – “heat dome” responsible for the region
The US is also affected by the extreme heat wave. The northwestern cities of Portland, Oregon, and Seattle recorded the highest temperatures since records began there in 1940.
According to weather experts, the phenomenon of the “heat dome” is responsible for the extreme heat. The high pressure in the atmosphere keeps the hot air in the region. According to experts at the Washington Post , the intensity of the current heat dome is “statistically so rare that it can only be expected on average once every few thousand years”. But: Climate change has “made these types of extraordinary events more likely,” according to the meteorologists. (ph / dpa / afp) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
Rubriklistenbild: © Jeff Mcintosh/dpa/The Canadian Press/AP
