The Canada Heatwave continues to roast the region. Apart from throwing the infrastructure of the area into disarray, now an alarming number of residents are succumbing to the extreme heat. Over 200 lives have been lost in the British Columbia province of Canada. The temperature of the area has reached 46.6C, the newest all-time high.
On Tuesday, officials said that the number of average deaths has doubled in the span of four days. They are citing the “extreme heat” due to the Canada heatwave as the reason.
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The town of Lytton in the central part of British Columbia recorded 46.6C as their temperature, on Sunday, 27th June. It is located about 200km to Vancouver’s north. Over the previous weekend, 233 people at least had died in the province of the Western Coast. Officials said that the number is almost 100 more than the area’s average for a span of four days. They expect the number to rise as the number of reports being filed was increasing.
The Canada Heatwave Is Getting Worse Every Day
On Monday, the Coroners Service of BC said that deaths have significantly increased since the Canada heatwave began. The extra deaths are suspected to be brought about in some form by extreme heat. Their statement further clarified that coroners are presently investigating the manner and cause of the deaths to see if the heat did have a role.
Lia Lapointe, the Chief Coroner, explained that exposure to environmental heat can result in fatalities. This is even more likely for those who have chronic illnesses, young children, infants, and old people.
Canada is usually known for the brutal snow and winter. Moreover, the previous all-time high was 45C, which dates back to 1937. This Canada heatwave is the result of a system of high pressure that did not move, explained Greg Flato, a scientist with Victoria’s the Canada Centre of Environment and Climate Change.
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In several areas, even tarmac has ruptured or buckled because of the Canada heatwave. The cables for trains have melted as well since such unprecedented highs were reached, reports The Independent. So far there is no proper estimate as to how long these conditions will continue.
