British Columbia (BC), including Vancouver, is expected to be hotter than usual after August 14th, so the BC government has called for caution.
At a press conference on August 10, BC State Government Crisis Management Minister Bowin Maa announced that each city would prepare by setting up cooling centres.
“Indoor temperatures above 31 degrees Celsius can be dangerous, especially for people who are sensitive to heat, so as part of the heat-fighting strategy, places where people can cool off outside their homes when the temperatures inside their homes become unsafe It is important to confirm that,” he warned.
According to Environment Canada, the highest temperature is expected to rise to 26 degrees Celsius in Vancouver for the week after the 14th, and 31 degrees Celsius in the city of Abbotsford in the interior of Metro Vancouver.
In the southeastern part of the state, the forecast called for heat wave measures to exceed 35 degrees. Drought conditions were also reported again.
In BC, 28 of 34 districts are experiencing 4 or more out of 5 drought levels (5 being the worst). By mid-July, there were 17 districts, but things are getting worse.
Ma said BC is experiencing the most extreme drought it has ever experienced and called for people to help conserve water.
Metro Vancouver will be in Stage 2 of Restricted Watering, which will prohibit watering all lawns from August 4th until October 15th.