Deadly Canadian heatwave still shattering records
The scorching temperatures in Canada eased slightly on Wednesday but that certainly did not bring any relief.
Lytton, a town in central British Columbia, broke Canada's all-time hottest temperature record three times this week - eventually climbing to 121 degrees Fahrenheit. On Wednesday, temperatures were forecast to reach 107 degrees.
One government climatologist who described this week’s heatwave as ‘spectacular’ and ‘unprecedented’ says the heatwave still looks this week to erase high temperature marks set decades ago.
At least 233 people died in British Columbia between Friday and Monday. According to the provincial Coroners Service - that’s about 100 more deaths than the average four-day period.
Across the country, residents are trying to stay safe and beat the heat - some are seeking shade or water, many are seeking air conditioners… and bottles of water are being distributed to those in need
The extreme heat has closed schools, driven up natural gas prices, and scorched crops across the Prairies - where farmers grow much of the world's wheat and canola.
President of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture, Lynn Jacobson:
"So what it means in the long run is the yield is not going to be up to our average. In fact, it could be way below the average in a lot of areas.”
The heat dome has stretched beyond Canada, and into the United States.
The major Pacific Northwest cities of Portland and Salem in Oregon, and Seattle in Washington, were trapped under a high-pressure dome too… shattering temperature records early this week.
