Edmonton set for heat wave next week, city activating extreme weather response

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Toasting temperatures are expected to trigger an extreme weather response from the City of Edmonton come Monday.

The alert threshold for an Environment Canada alert is when two or more consecutive days of daytime maximum temperatures are expected to reach 29C or warmer during the day, and nighttime lows hit 14.

Particularly at risk are babies and children, elders, those who are ill, and those who work outside, or those without shelter, as well as pets.   “If folks know of someone who might be in this kind of situation, please check in on them. If you’re outside you see someone in distress, call 211,” said Hani Quan, the city’s director of affordable housing and homelessness.

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“Thankfully, our colleagues at the provincial government have provided significant increases in the shelter capacity this past winter, so there should be enough shelter spaces for those who are unhoused in our community to be able to access to get respite from the heat,” he said.

Checking on seniors and those who live alone is a good idea.

“If you see someone on the street who looks like they might not be doing so well, call 211, and if it’s an emergency, call 911,” he said.

The city’s water bottle filling stations are a key part of helping Edmontonians deal with the heat.

“What we’ve learned in the past and from our research when we first enacted this policy, is that dehydration is the problem,” he said, urging people to bring a water bottle with them outside.

For up-to-date information on the city’s response, go to Edmonton.ca/extremeweather.

Sunday and Monday the heat will build, and by Tuesday and Wednesday temps could be in the low-to-mid-30s, said Alysa Pederson, an Alberta warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment & Climate Change Canada.

After that, it might “cool” towards the 29 or 30 mark, “which is still very hot, and it’s hotter than we’ve had this year so far,” Pederson said.

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An upper ridge triggered by the Jet Stream will surge warm air up into BC, Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories, bringing cloudless skies, and hot temps that may feel sticky.

Usually, Alberta hits 30 in May or June at some point, but not this year.

“We actually only had one day in May above 25 and three days in June above 25 in Edmonton. This heat that’s coming in is really going to be the first time this year that Edmontonians really feel the heat of summer,” Pederson said.

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Prevent heat crisis

For the elderly, babies and young children, or other vulnerable populations, the danger starts at lower temperatures, from 27 to 28 degrees for long periods of time, she said.

“It’s of the utmost importance that people that are dealing with people that are potentially more vulnerable really pay attention to those that maybe can’t identify it for themselves,” Pederson said.

The signs of illness from hot weather start with heat exhaustion—excessive sweat, dizziness, muscle cramps, confusion, headache, and fainting.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency: high body temperature and sweating stops.

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When the pavement is hot, foot protection—even winter pet booties—and ample water and shade are essential for dogs, who cool from their paws.

“If you get just the toes of your dog in water, that can help them if they’re overheating,” Pederson said.

And it’s time for that annual common-sense reminder that pets, children and other vulnerable people must not be left in cars, where temps skyrocket in the summer heat.

Wildfire dangers

Increasing temps and the threat of lightning strikes expected next week are a concern for Alberta Wildfire.

“It’s going to likely increase the wildfire danger across the province,” said Melissa Story, provincial information officer.

“Right now we are sitting at very high to extreme wildfire danger in the northern parts of the province. It’s low to moderate in most other places, and high in the central regions.

“But going into this weekend, I would anticipate that these will increase,” Story said.

The heat is expected to dry out the landscape and provide fuel for wildfires.

Friday afternoon there were 17 wildfires burning out of control in Alberta after a recent spate of lightning storms up north.

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One wildfire named MWF047 started July 2, by midday Friday it was about 12,000 hectares in size, and was being fought by 140 wildland firefighters and support staff.

Suncor evacuated non-essential staff from its Firebag Aerodrome site as a precaution.

The fire was 16 km east of Imperial Oil’s Kearl oilsands site, and 50 km from the Fort McKay First Nation and Metis Nation.

“We’re doing everything that we can to kind of get the wildfire situation that we’re currently seeing on the landscape under control, and we’re preparing for any new welfare starts that may come out of this weekend with the hot, dry conditions.

“We do have lookout observers that are on high alert, and we encourage the public to call 310 fire if they do see any smoke or flame in any forested areas,” she said.

Story reminds the public there are fire bans and restrictions in place throughout the province, including fire restrictions in the Fort McMurray and High Level areas.

The fires, bans and restrictions can be viewed at the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.

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