“I want to remind people that heat can be deadly,” Henry said.
Although it won’t be as intense or last as long as the so-called “heat dome” that settled over the province in late June — when Victoria hit its all-time record-high temperature of 39.8 C — this heat wave could have similar effects on vulnerable segments of the population, Henry said.
Preliminary data from the B.C. Coroners Service updated Monday showed 815 “sudden deaths” during June’s heat wave — a 300% per cent increase from sudden deaths that typically occurred in the same week between 2016 and 2020.
The Cowichan Regional District opened cooling centres Thursday in Mill Bay, Duncan, Lake Cowichan, Ladysmith, Crofton and Chemainus for residents and tourists who need to get out of the heat.