Earth’s hottest month: Staying safe during record breaking heat waves

Extreme heat waves have been sweeping through many parts of BC and across the globe, causing an onslaught of record-breaking temperatures and fueling scientists’ predictions that July will have been Earth’s hottest month on record. Too much heat is harmful to our health, but there are several ways to keep yourself and your loved ones cool and safe during extreme heat conditions, as well as ways you can prepare in advance for extreme heat situations.

Staying cool and safe when temperatures soar

When the body can’t properly cool itself, heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke can occur leading to muscle weakness, dizziness, disorientation, and exhaustion. Severe cases of heat stroke – also known as sunstroke – can be a life-threatening medical emergency. Here are some tips on beating the heat and staying cool:

• Stay hydrated. Drink extra water even before you feel thirsty, and avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, which cause dehydration and, as a result, can increase your risk of heatstroke.
• Keep cool. Stay in air-conditioned environments, use fans, take cool baths or showers, sleep in the coolest part of your home, sleep with a wet sheet or in a wet t-shirt, and make use of local community pools.  
• Be smart outdoors. If you must go outside, do so when the temperature is generally cooler such as early in the morning or late in the day. Stick to the shade or seek cooler, breezier areas when possible.
• Be sun smart. If you go out in the sun, make sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher on exposed skin, and dress appropriately in light weight, loose fitting clothes with a hat and UV-protective eyewear. 

Preparing for extreme heat

Extreme heat conditions are likely to be more frequent as our climate changes. Here are some things to consider to be better prepared in advance of extreme temperatures or a heat emergency:

• Can you stay home? If the temperature inside your home reaches 31C degrees or hotter, you should plan to go somewhere cooler.
• Where can you go to stay cool? If your home is too hot, can you go to a friend or family member’s home, or perhaps seek out an air-conditioned public place such as your local shopping mall, community centre, library, etc.
• How can you prepare your home? There are a few things you can do to cool down your home: install a window or portable air conditioner to keep at least one room in your home cool, install thermal curtains or window coverings, use fans to help move cool air indoors when temps are cooler in the early mornings and late evenings, or install exterior window coverings or reflective films that block the sun from hitting the window, even using something as simple as cardboard.
• Are any of your loved ones or neighbours at risk? These individuals include the elderly, infants and young children, pregnant women, people with pre-existing health conditions, and people who live alone.
• Do you know someone who lives alone? If you or a friend or loved one lives alone, make sure to set up regular check-ins.

Over the last few years, heat waves have gotten hotter and more frequent and climate change is showing that these types of events will likely become more frequent, possibly last longer, and continue to be even hotter. It’s important to know how to prepare for extreme heat conditions and what to do to keep you and your loved ones safe. For more information on how to prepare for extreme heat, visit Prepare BC’s Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide. You can also learn more about heat-related illness by visiting HealthLinkBC’s Heat-related Illness webpage.