The soaring heat that blanketed B.C. this month serves as yet another reminder of the power of Mother Nature.
According to Environment Canada, 27 locations in B.C. broke or tied heat records earlier this month. Topping the list, not surprisingly, was the province鈥檚 perennial hot spot: Lytton recorded a high of 42.4C to make it the hottest July 8 on record.
In the Comox Valley, temperatures didn鈥檛 reach those extremes, but the climbing mercury nonetheless served as a reminder of the real effects of heat.
For many, the summer sunshine means an excuse to hit the water, as to enjoy it.
For others, however, hot days in combination with nights that don鈥檛 cool down mean a genuine risk to health and safety.
Health officials warn that some residents are more vulnerable to heat-related illness: seniors, especially those who live alone; people with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory disease; people taking certain medications; people with mental illnesses; people with substance use disorders and those with limited mobility, among others.
Add in infants and young children, pregnant women, and people in precarious housing circumstances, and you have a long list of community members who may need extra help during a heat wave.
Let鈥檚 make sure we all do our part during the hot weather to look after the folks around us. Check in on family members, friends and neighbours who live alone, especially if they鈥檙e vulnerable. Make sure they have access to air conditioning; help them get to a municipal cooling centre if they need it. Know the signs of heat stress 鈥� in yourself and others 鈥� and be sure to seek medical attention for anyone showing signs of it.
British Columbians never want to see a repeat of 2021, when more than 600 people died of heat-related causes during the historic heat dome.
It鈥檚 on all of us to make sure that such a preventable tragedy never happens again 鈥� not this summer, and not in the summers to come.
