British Columbia is experiencing an increase in average summer temperatures and extremely hot days due to climate changes.
Last updated: May 29, 2026
While British Columbia (BC) is often considered more temperate than much of Canada, the province has already experienced severe and deadly heat events, with more expected as the climate continues to change.
In 2009, a heatwave affecting the Greater Vancouver area led to more than 100 excess deaths in one week. In 2021, an unprecedented “heat dome” impacted the entire province, resulting in over 700 excess deaths in a single week. These events underscore the growing risks of extreme heat in BC and the increasing importance of preparedness and public awareness.
To support planning and response efforts related to the public health impacts of significant heat events in BC, multiple health sector partners and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have developed a BC Heat Alert and Response System (BC HARS). The alerting system helps individuals and communities to prepare for heat and protect themselves during a heat wave, and alerts decision-makers to take preventive actions to protect public health.
New for 2026: The BC HARS has been updated with warning levels and activation
guidelines for heat events to align with the new colour-coded weather alerting
system used by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The BC HARS now has three warning levels—yellow, orange, and red—based on the anticipated
impacts and likelihood of the weather forecasted by ECCC. This update follows
federal changes across alerts for all weather hazards. The new system is designed to better communicate weather information and warnings so the public can
understand the severity and risks of a weather event and be better prepared.
In order to ensure that municipalities and health authorities are prepared for the public health risks posed by extreme heat, BCCDC assessed current perceptions and levels of preparedness of health authorities and municipalities regarding extreme heat.
This review describes the interest in and approaches to addressing the risks associated with extreme heat by health authorities and municipalities in BC. From these findings, gaps in knowledge will be shown and recommendations made to advance heat response planning in BC.
This guide can be used to help BC municipalities develop extreme heat plans, ideally in a way that these plans are integrated with existing emergency preparedness strategies.
