With the start of summer just three weeks away, B.C. government officials held a press conference Friday morning as the province prepares for wildfire season.
An Environment Canada meteorologist, Armel Castellan, shed light on weather projections for the coming months, and the national weather agency is depicting a hot summer.
According to projections, the seasonal outlook for June, July and August indicate a “high probability” of above normal temperatures, especially for B.C.’s Interior.
Currently, most of B.C. is experiencing a two-year rain deficit, which is impacting drought conditions.
According to the government’s drought map, most of the province is under Drought Level 1 (adverse impacts are rare) and Level 2 (adverse impacts unlikely) conditions. However, the northeastern section of B.C. is under Level 4 and Level 5.
Adverse impacts are both likely and almost certain in those areas.
The province announced it has expanded it free portable air conditioner program to reach 19,000 more households.
It has also added to improvements for long-term care and assisted living homes for climate impacts through a $6 million grant.
Extreme heat warnings will also be added to highway signs around the province to help keep people informed.
B.C has also developed new guidelines to clarify rules around installing AC units and better support renters and landlords to work together to safely install AC units, where possible.
For June, the first week is predicted to be cooler than normal across the province. But after that, month is predicted to be above normal seasonal averages.
Rain will be focused more on the coast in the first week of June, but in B.C.’s Interior, it is expected to have below normal precipitation as the month unfolds.
B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, also referenced the new BC Provincial Health Alert and Response system that has been put in place for 2024.
The BCCDC worked with Environment Canada, Health Canada, and B.C. health authorities to establish heat alert thresholds for the entire province.
The provincial health alert and response system was developed, referencing a Health Canada heat alert guidebook, and it incorporates national and international best practices from other jurisdictions.
Weather alerts, warnings and risks will be posted and pushed by Environment Canada.
The health alert and response system is a two-tier heat-alert and response system that issues notices for heat warnings and extreme-heat emergencies to provide important information to people in B.C.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said work has been done to increase response times for ambulances, especially in rural areas when it comes to heat and emergency responses.
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He said there are now more than 3,000 ambulance workers at 200 ambulance stations in the province. The government also added 15 new staff at its emergency response team.
Environment Canada said it will only know of individual weather events “in the days leading up to them.”
The province is urging residents to stay informed and up-to-date when it comes to weather conditions.
Officials said people can stay better informed if they use the official Environment Canada weather app.
They also said to be prepared for hot weather. British Columbians need to be aware of the most vulnerable in their families and communities and to look out for each other.
Overheating can be extremely dangerous for those most vulnerable.
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