Dozens Die in Deadly Heatwaves in Canada

Dozens Die in Deadly Heatwaves in Canada

Dozens Die in Deadly Heatwaves in Canada. Credit: Shutterstock

Parts of Canada are seeing record heat waves that are causing sudden deaths.

Yesterday, Tuesday, June 29, Canada recorded its highest temperature in history, reaching 49.5ºC in the British Columbian municipality of Lytton. This will be the third day that Lytton has broken the temperature record after reaching 46.6ºC on Sunday and 47ºC on Monday, however, temperatures have since risen to 50ºC.

The highest temperatures recorded prior to this week had been 45ºC in 1937, in the province of Saskatchewan, reports the Canadian media CBC. This year, British Columbia and parts of Alberta are being hit hard by record-high heat, National News reports.

The Metro Vancouver Police have said that they have responded to over 100 sudden deaths following the rise in temperatures and police in Vancouver report that they have attended to 65 sudden deaths since last Friday – with around 20 of those deaths being recorded yesterday.

“Vancouver has never experienced heat like this and, sadly, dozens of people are dying from it,” said Vancouver Police spokesman Steve Addison, adding that officers are doing “what they can” to continue with their work, but are “on the edge.”

Authorities insist that the increase in deaths is due to the extreme heat, with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the city of Burnaby, also in British Columbia, indicating that they have also received calls for 25 deaths since Monday, June 28.

Numerous places in North America and the western United States have also recorded temperatures well over 40ºC, also breaking previous records.

This news comes as parts of Spain are also warned of an increase in temperatures, which could see highs of 40ºC this weekend because of the warm air in Andalucia, Murcia, interior and pre-coastal areas of the Valencian Community, southeast of Castilla-La Mancha, central Catalan central depression and in points of the Ebro valley.


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Written by

Laura Kemp

Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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