This is not a heat warning or an extreme heat emergency, but it is the first stretch of high temperatures of this season. The first high temperatures of the season can lead to some people overheating because they are not yet accustomed to warmer weather. There are some basic steps you can take to ensure you and your family remain safe and healthy during warmer temperatures. The warmer weather will also cause rapid snow melt, leading to high rivers and streams throughout the province so please keep water safety in mind.
- Identify a cooler space in your home and prepare it so you can stay there at night, if possible.
- You may need to change daily living arrangements during an extreme heat event; connect with friends or family about staying in a cooler location.
- Install awnings, shutters, blinds, or curtains over your windows to keep the sun out during the day.
- Get a digital room thermometer to keep with you so you know when your home is getting too hot.
- Check that you have a working fan. If you have an air conditioner, make sure it works.
- If you do not have air conditioning at home, find an air-conditioned space or shaded outdoor location close by where you can cool off on hot days. Consider places in your community where you can spend time such as libraries, community centres, movie theatres, shopping malls, or recreation spaces including the ocean, rivers or lakes.
It is important to monitor yourself and family members, and to consider developing a
check-in system for neighbours and friends who are at higher risk during warmer weather. The most susceptible individuals include:
- Older adults, especially if they live alone
- People with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia
- People with pre-existing health conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, respiratory disease)
- People with substance use disorders
- People with disabilities or limited mobility
- People who are living in poverty or marginally housed
- People who work in hot environments
- People who are pregnant
- Infants and young children
There are many ways to reduce the risk of having a heat-related illness:
- Stay in cool spaces as much as possible.
- Spray your body down with water, wear a damp shirt, take a cool shower or bath, or sit with part of your body in water to cool down if you are feeling too hot.
- Drink plenty of water and other liquids to stay hydrated, even if you are not feeling thirsty.
- Take it easy, especially during the hottest hours of the day.
- When outdoors, stay in the shade or use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more.
- Signs of overheating include feeling unwell, headache, and dizziness. Take immediate action to cool down if you are overheating.
- It is important to remember that overheating can quickly lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
- Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, severe headache, muscle cramps, extreme thirst, and dark urine. If you are experiencing these symptoms, seek a cooler environment, drink plenty of water, rest, and use water to cool your body.
- Signs of heat stroke include confusion, fainting or decreased consciousness, or high body temperatures that cannot be lowered.
- Heat stroke is a medical emergency.
In the event of a medical emergency, British Columbians are advised to call 9-1-1. However, it is also important to use these systems responsibly to avoid overwhelming the system. Ahead of the busy summer months, BC Emergency Health Services in partnership with ECOMM, are reminding British Columbians to only dial 9-1-1 for serious or life-threatening injuries.
When to call 9-1-1
- In general: when there is chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, severe burns, choking, convulsions that are not stopping, a drowning, a severe allergic reaction, a head injury, signs of a stroke, a major trauma.
- More specifically related to hot weather: severe headache, confusion, unsteadiness, loss of thirst, nausea/vomiting, and dark or no urine are signs of dangerous heat-related illness.
If you have a less urgent health issue:
- You can call 8-1-1 and connect with a nurse at HealthLink BC. Or, if you can do so safely, go to an urgent care centre or clinic.
- That way, highly trained emergency medical dispatch staff and paramedics will be available for people who need their services the most.
- There are also online tools at healthlinkbc.ca including a “Check Your Symptoms” tool.
The BC Centre for Disease Control, a part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, provides public health leadership through surveillance, detection, treatment, prevention and consultation services. The Centre provides diagnostic and treatment services for people with diseases of public health importance, and analytical and policy support to all levels of government and health authorities. The BCCDC also provides health promotion and prevention services to reduce the burden of chronic disease, preventable injury and environmental health risks. For more, visit www.bccdc.ca or follow us on Facebook or Instagram or @CDCofBC.
The
Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) provides specialized
health care services and programs to communities across British Columbia, the territories of many distinct First Nations. We are grateful to all the First Nations who have cared for and nurtured this land for all time, including the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səlil̓w̓ətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations on whose unceded and ancestral territory our head office is located. We work in partnership with other B.C. health authorities and the provincial government to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians. For more information, visit
www.phsa.ca or
follow us @PHSAofBC.
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Media Contact
Joshua Grant
BC Centre for Disease Control Communications
