Canada has been hit by a sudden intolerable heat wave that has transcended all of the previous records and has managed to leave quite a trail of disaster behind. Dozens of citizens have succumbed to the heat wave in Canada and lost their lives. A tiny village in Lytton, east of Vancouver has recorded the highest temperature in Canada, which is almost 50 C, amidst the heat wave.
Possible Cause behind the sudden Heat Wave in Canada
It is believed that the sudden heat wave and the Western areas of the US might be due to a dome of static high-pressure hot air extending from California to the Arctic territories. According to experts, climate change is the prime factor behind the drastic surge in the frequency of heat wave that has been unleashed on the citizens of Canada.
However, the temperature was found to be subsiding a little in the coastal areas but there is minimal rest for the inland regions.
Temperature Records in some parts of Canada after the sudden Heat Wave
| Region | Temperature |
| Lytton | 49.6 C |
| Portland | 46.1 C |
| Seattle | 42.2 C |
Consequences of the Heat Wave in Canada
The extreme heat wave has caused a number of deaths. Maximum of those people belonged to the elderly group who had already been suffering from various health conditions and the heat wave just added to their existing critical state. Canada has never experienced such a heat wave as the records have never surpassed 45 C, until Sunday.
John Horgan, the British Columbia Premier, as a result of the heat wave said, “The hottest week the province had ever experienced had led to disastrous consequences for families and for communities”.
The total death count caused due to the heat wave will likely increase as some areas have reported sudden death cases but as of yet the total number has not been counted.
Steve Addison, a police sergeant, after looking over the catastrophe caused due the sudden heat wave said, “I’ve been a police officer for 15 years and I’ve never experienced the volume of sudden deaths that have come in such a short period of time, three or four a day is normal.”
Due to the heat wave, some people suffered from kidney and heart problems and a man even had third degree burns because of walking on the sidewalk.
The heat wave was so overpowering that it even managed to melt cables which led to the Portland Streetcar Services closing their facilities on Sunday.
Death Toll following the Heat Wave in Canada
The fatal heat wave has left a trail of death behind. The police department of Vancouver reported a total of 130 deaths since Friday. The heat wave is suspected to be the prime factor behind 65 of those death cases.
Lisa Lapointe, the British Columbia Chief Coroner, informed that ever since the heat wave occurred in Canada, 100 more death cases than the usual count has been reported from Friday to Monday.
In Washington and Oregon, a dozen deaths have been linked to the sudden heat wave, at the least.
A doctor from Seattle stated that the number of patients registering in the hospital after the heat wave is similar to the number during the beginning of Covid-19.
Measurements for Relieve from the Heat Wave in Canada
- Initiation of rolling blackouts in order to keep up with the extreme power requirements.
- The common people were given permission by Amazon to enter into certain areas of their headquarters in Seattle to cool their body off.
- Workers in the agricultural field are liberated to start working at dawn and take their leave at noon.
As a result of the ongoing heat wave, the weather department has released notice of caution from the drastic heat wave for the realms of Alberta, British Columbia, certain parts of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and territories in the Northwest.
