It’s been a particularly freezing string of days in London and across southern Ontario, but some relief is expected midweek.
First, however, is another frigid day and night that’s prompted an extreme cold warning from Environment Canada and an extension of the Middlesex-London Health Unit’s cold weather alert, first issued Sunday.
The national weather agency says London can expect wind chill values near -30 on Tuesday night, into Wednesday morning.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit is suggesting Londoners stay in heated buildings as much as possible, dress in multiple layers of loose-fitting clothes and cover up all exposed skin, drink warm fluids but avoid caffeinated or alcoholic beverages which cause the body to lose heat more rapidly, avoid strenuous outdoor exercise, avoid travelling when extreme weather is expected and prepare your living space and vehicle for winter.
The health unit says signs of hypothermia include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling or uncoordinated movements, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness. Signs of frostbite include white or grayish skin, skin that feels unusually firm or way or numbness.
A list of local warming centres can be found on the City of London’s website.
The extreme cold should slowly leave the region as the workweek comes to a close. Environment Canada is forecasting a low of -17 C Tuesday night, before the wind chill, and a high of just -12 C on Wednesday. However, overnight Wednesday the low is expected to fall to only -11 C. The high on Thursday is expected to hit -7 C, then drop to -10 C overnight before climbing back up to -8 C on Friday.