Heat warnings issued for Edmonton, parts of central and southeastern Alberta

It’s setting up to be yet another hot few days in Alberta, with heat warnings issued for Edmonton and much of central and southeastern Alberta.

The heat warnings were issued by Environment Canada early Thursday morning.

“Warm temperatures have returned to Alberta and heat warnings have been expanded to include most of eastern and central parts of the province,” Global Edmonton weather specialist Mike Sobel said.

As of Thursday morning, the warnings stretched to the Saskatchewan border to the east, up through the Cold Lake region and down south to the American border. For a full list of areas under heat warnings, visit Environment Canada’s website.

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Afternoon highs on Thursday and into the weekend are expected to reach 29 C and into the mid-30s. Overnight lows will range between 15 and 20 degrees.

“Warnings will likely be expanded further over the coming days as the ridge of high pressure continues to build,” Sobel said.

During heat warnings, people are asked to take precautions to protect themselves, including:

• Consider rescheduling outdoor activities to cooler hours of the day
• Take frequent breaks from the heat, spending time in cooled indoor spaces where possible
• Drink plenty of water and other non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages to stay hydrated
• Check for your children or pets before you exit your vehicle. Do not leave any person or pet inside a closed vehicle, for any length of time

Infants, children, seniors and those with pre-existing lung, kidney and heart conditions can be more susceptible to heat warnings.

Heat warnings are issued when very high temperatures are expected to pose elevated risks of heat illness, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion, according to Environment Canada.

Air quality statements

A number of air quality statements were also in place Thursday, mainly through the mountain parks.

Wildfire smoke from British Columbia is causing poor air quality and reducing visibility through the Rocky Mountains.

“Another strong ridge in the jet stream is building, this will lead to stable, hot and dry conditions through the long weekend,” Global Edmonton meteorologist Jesse Beyer said.

“With the stability, there is the a chance our air quality will be affected due to local sources as well as ozone and wildfire smoke in the coming days.”

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