Prepare for summer heat

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a Yellow Warning – Heat for East and Inland Vancouver Island that will experience warmer temperatures through Wednesday. The first high temperatures of the season can lead to some people overheating because they are not yet accustomed to warmer weather. 

Now is a good time to take steps to keep cool, and prepare for heat events this summer so you and your family remain safe and healthy during warmer temperatures. 

Stay cool during heat warnings

  • Stay in cool spaces as much as possible.
  • Consider heading to a community centre or air-conditioned public space.
  • Spray your body down with water, wear a damp shirt, take a cool shower or bath, or sit with part of your body in water to cool down. 
  • Drink plenty of water and other liquids to stay hydrated, even if you are not feeling thirsty. 
  • Take it easy, especially during the hottest hours of the day. 
  • When outdoors, stay in the shade or use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more.

Recognize signs of overheating

  • Overheating can be a serious health risk. Take immediate action to cool down if you are overheating. 
  • Signs of overheating include feeling unwell, headache and dizziness. 
  • Overheating can quickly lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
  • Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, severe headache, muscle cramps, extreme thirst and dark urine. If you are experiencing these symptoms, seek a cooler environment, drink plenty of water, rest and use water to cool your body. 
  • Signs of heat stroke include confusion, fainting or decreased consciousness, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing and faint rapid heart rate or high body temperatures.
  • Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Call 9-1-1 and take steps to start cooling the person down right away. Move them to a cooler area or cool shower or bath if it is safe to do so or remove clothes and apply ice packs and wet cloths, especially around the neck and armpits.

If you have a health question or concern but are not experiencing a medical emergency, call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 for confidential health information and advice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can go to an urgent and primary care centre or clinic if you can do so safely.

Who is most at risk?

It is important to monitor yourself and the people around you. Consider developing a check-in system for family, neighbours and friends who are at higher risk during warmer weather. Older adults, especially those living alone, are at elevated risk across most of these categories:  

  • People with severe mental illness or cognitive impairment (e.g., schizophrenia, dementia) that may affect their ability to respond to heat 
  • People with multiple chronic conditions or disabilities that limit their physical ability to respond to heat 
  • People with chronic conditions such as respiratory disease, heart disease, neurological disease or diabetes 
  • People with substance use disorders 
  • People who are living in poverty, are marginally housed or experiencing homelessness 
  • Pregnant people
  • Infants and young children 
  • Heat can also pose health risks to people who work or exercise in hot environments.

Preparing now for future hot weather

  • Review the Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide and make an emergency plan.  
  • Find a cooler space in your home and prepare it so you can stay there at night, if possible. 
  • You may need to change daily living arrangements during Orange or Red – Heat warnings; connect with friends or family about staying in a cooler location (see below for more information on the new colour-coded heat warnings).
  • Install awnings, shutters, blinds or curtains over your windows to keep the sun out during the day.
  • Get a digital room thermometer to keep with you so you know when your home is getting too hot (typically, above 26 C).
  • Check that you have a working fan. If you have an air conditioner, make sure it works.
  • If you do not have air conditioning at home, find an air-conditioned space or shaded outdoor location close by, where you can cool off on hot days. Consider places in your community to spend time such as libraries, community centres, movie theatres, shopping malls or recreation spaces including the ocean, rivers or lakes. Find Emergency Cooling Centre and Public Cooling Space locations on EmergencyMapBC.ca, the Province’s centralized map of public safety conditions and emergency events. 

The BC Centre for Disease Control also has a broad range of heat-related information on its website, including information on the different types of heat warnings, how to prepare for warmer temperatures, symptoms of heat-related illnesses, populations most at risk during warmer weather, and ways to stay cool. Learn more: bccdc.ca/heat

New colour-coded heat warnings

In alignment with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s new colour-coded weather alerts, British Columbia has revised the Heat Alert and Response System and now has three warning levels: Yellow, Orange and Red. 

  • Yellow Warning – Heat. This is the most common warning. This means daytime and overnight temperatures will be unusually high for at least two consecutive days. Take steps to stay cool. 
  • Orange Warning – Heat. This is an uncommon warning. This means daytime and overnight temperatures will be very high for at least three consecutive days. Take steps to stay cool and protect yourself and others. Check in regularly with family, friends and neighbours who are at higher risk of heat-related illness, especially if they live alone without access to air conditioning or other cool space. 
  • Red Warning – Heat. This is a rare warning. This means that temperatures will be dangerous, especially in indoor environments without air conditioning. Daytime and overnight temperatures will be much higher than usual and getting hotter every day for at least three consecutive days. 
  • For more information about the heat warning zone you live in and the daytime temperature maximums as well as a nighttime minimum temperatures that would trigger a warning, visit BC HARS Lookup Tool. 

Learn more about colour-coded weather alerts.

Online resources