Impact of heat on Canada: Hundreds of people died, fires and windows all melted

KOMPAS.com – The hot temperatures that have hit Canada in recent days have caused several problems.

Hundreds of sudden deaths are believed to be linked to the heatwave sweeping the country.

As of July 2, a total of 719 deaths had been recorded in seven days in the territory of British Columbia (BC), the westernmost province of Canada.

This is an increase of 195% over the usual amount during this period.

Read also: Hundreds of people died when Canada was hit by heat wave of up to 49.5 degrees Celsius

British Columbia Coroner’s Service chief Lisa Lapointe said many of those who died in the heatwave were living alone in unventilated homes.

To throw BBC, the heat in western Canada and the United States is caused by a high pressure “hot air dome” stretching from California to the Arctic region.

Temperatures have dropped in coastal areas, but little has changed inland.

Experts say climate change is contributing to this record heat.

A city in British Columbia, Lytton even broke the Canadian record for the highest temperature three times this week, reaching 49.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday (6/29/2021).

Due to the heat, a large fire ravaged the city.

“I ran towards the city and the fire followed me. In about 15 minutes, the whole city was gone,” said a resident of the name of Pierre Quevillon, quoted by The independent.

Also Read: Experience The Hottest Temperature Ever, This Canadian City Until It Burns Down

Forest fires

Quevillon is one of more than 1,000 Lytton residents who were forced to leave their homes and flee to nearby towns after bushfires razed much of the small Canadian town.

The Quevillon house was one of the first to catch fire on Wednesday evening (6/29/2021), after the mayor issued an immediate evacuation order.

A friend of his had called him to warn him of the fire that was brewing when he started rescuing his pet.

Fortunately, he managed to escape the fire and headed for a nearby hill.

Janice Houldworth, a resident of the community of Caslegar in British Columbia, said she had not left the house for four days.

“I have never experienced anything like this in my 70s,” he said.

“We closed all the windows, got a fan that runs 24/7, and doused it with water, took cold footbaths and drank lots of fluids.”

Also read: Canadian heatwave starts 170 fires

Car windows cracked and melted

Many homes in British Columbia do not have air conditioning, as temperatures are generally much milder during the summer months.

A Vancouver resident told AFP news agency that hotels appeared to be full as people flocked there for air conditioning.

In Vancouver, residents have reported cracked and melted car windows, even when they are not parked in the sun.

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