Sunny spring days have arrived in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, prompting Environment Canada to issue yellow-level heat warnings in the provinces.
“We’ve got the hottest air we’ve seen so far this year moving into the Prairies,” said Global News Meteorologist Peter Quinlan.
He is cautioning people in and around Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Regina to keep an eye out for heat-related illness, which can start to set in for some people when temperatures are in the 20 C range.
“We’re looking at mid-30-degree (C) heat — the hottest air of the year so far moving in for the rest of the week,” Quinlan said, adding some parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan will see highs up to 36 C.
“At this time of year, we do often have a bit more of a humidex, and that’s going to play in even moreso as we go into June next weekend, and to July the following month.”
Environment Canada is offering advice for people who are feeling the heat. It suggests planning the day to avoid direct heat when the sun is out, and when outside, it says people should wear light, loose-fitting clothes with a wide-brim hat.
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During the day, cooling centres and public spaces, such as community centres and libraries, can offer reprieve, Quinlan said.
“The other situation is the recovery that we get overnight. If we don’t see the overnight lows dropping to the mid-teens. If they stay in the upper teens or low 20s (C), people without air conditioning really start to struggle because when they open the windows, they just don’t get that relief,” Quinlan cautioned.
To beat the heat, the meteorologist recommends ice cream, cool drinks, including lots of water, and other cold foods. He also said to avoid spicy foods as they can increase body temperature.
“Finding ways to stay cool in your own home can include wetting a towel and putting over top of you or a blanket, taking a cold shower, or a cold bath,” he suggested.
This round of warm weather will end towards the beginning of June, but looking at the rest of summer, the sun will shine on the Prairies, Quinlan said.
“We will likely see some relief as we go kind of into the early part of June. We’ll see some cooler days next week, probably by the middle to the end of the week. Then, it looks like we will see a return as we get toward the end of next week and into the following weekend,” he said.
June will be a wet summer month, to the benefit of farmers and gardeners, before some humidity is expected to arrive in July.
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