Update
Dangerous air pollution levels and an incoming heat wave expected to last through Friday on Vancouver Island have led to weather warnings from Environment Canada.
Residents in communities in the East Vancouver Island, the Southern Gulf Islands, and Greater Victoria have been asked to exercise caution when spending time outside. The air quality has been compromised in these regions due to a weather pattern which has carried wildfire smoke from parts of B.C. toward the coast, and has prompted a Smoky Skies Bulletin. Full story [link]
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They’ve had to lay in extra ice cream at Port Alberni Dairy Queen on Third Avenue, with a heat wave that’s expected to bring the town’s temperature to 36 C today, rising to a sizzling 38 on Thursday.
While customers cooled off with Blizzards and parfaits on Tuesday, shift leader Charles Johnson took it a step further on his breaks. “I usually hang out in the freezer for a little while,” he said. And yes, that would be a walk-in freezer.
It’s something lots of workers wouldn’t mind trying, as temperatures rise.
While Vancouver installs temporary water fountains and misting stations in public parks, along with providing water and sunscreen to homeless people, Victoria is getting a bit of a break.
City of Victoria spokeswoman Rebecca Penz said cooling stations and other measures implemented in Vancouver are not planned here, as the temperature has dropped and a breeze has developed.
Today’s temperatures in the capital region, the Southern Gulf Islands and the eastern portion of the Island will be a bit cooler than initially forecast — 30 C instead of 33 C — although smoke from wildfires in the Interior has prompted a new kind of public health advisory. In effect until further notice, it’s called a Smoky Skies Bulletin, and it kicks in when “smoke concentrations have reached or could reach levels causing concern for human health.”
The Smoky Skies Bulletin was issued Tuesday by the B.C. Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Strategy, working with Island Heath.
They noted that the current weather pattern is causing winds to carry smoke from the wildfires toward the coast, although concentrations are expected to vary as winds, fire behaviour and temperatures change.
Increased smoke concentrations are a particular concern for infants, elderly people and those with heart or lung disease, who are advised to avoid strenuous activities and prolonged exposure. Island Health says individuals who experience difficulty in breathing, chest pain or discomfort, and sudden onset of cough or irritation of airways should contact a health-care provider, walk-in clinic or emergency department, depending on severity of symptoms.
One option health experts suggest is visiting a shopping mall with cooler filtered air, since many home air conditioning systems do not filter air.
Meanwhile, health workers at a number of sites on the Island have responded to calls of animals left in hot vehicles in recent days, says Island Health.
During peak summer weather, even in the shade and with windows down, a parked vehicle can harm or kill an animal in as little as 10 minutes, the health authority said in a statement. Owners of pets other than certified service dogs are asked to leave animals at home when heading to hospitals and health-care centres, because appointments and visits often take longer than anticipated.
Anyone seeing an animal in distress is asked to call the B.C. SPCA hotline at 1-855-622-7722 or police.
Forecast temperatures for today include 34 C for Campbell River, Comox and Qualicum Beach and 30 C for Nanaimo.
• Real-time air quality information for East Vancouver Island, Southern Gulf Islands and Greater Victoria is available at www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/air [link]
