Westman braces for early heat wave

People should drink plenty of water, wear light clothing and change the time of their activities to cooler hours, Brandon’s emergency co-ordinator said as the region prepares for an early heat wave this week.

Tobin Praznik said people also need to keep an eye on their children and pets, especially in vehicles, which can heat up quickly.

Temperatures are expected to hit 36 C in Brandon on Thursday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Highs of 30 C and above are expected to start today and last into next week.

“Continue to stay informed. How hot are the temperatures going to be? How high is the humidex going to be?” Praznik said. “If you are at risk of heat and you’re not comfortable in that type of environment, maybe change your activities to the cooler time during the day rather than in the middle of the day when it’s extremely hot.”

Praznik said the priority for the city is to set up resources like water stations. Freezing temperatures overnight last week prevented staff from getting those ready.

The city is also reaching out to community partners to make sure Brandon’s homeless population is taken care of, he said, adding the city will distribute water for those people. Cadets will also be downtown giving out water.

“We will continue to monitor and make sure that people are aware of these potential warnings that come through the summer,” Praznik said.

Splash parks are expected to be operational in the first week of June, he said.

If people don’t have air conditioning at home, they should go to a mall or shopping area for a short period to cool down, he added.

ECCC meteorologist Justin Shelley said an upper ridge of high pressure is the cause of the heat wave. That type of system isn’t uncommon for this time of year, but this one will be “locked in place” with stagnant warm air.

“We’re certainly going to be up to 15 degrees above average,” Shelley said.

“It’s certainly not typical to see this level of heat, but also the duration of this heat to persist for as long as it’s going to stay in the region.”

Along with the precautions Praznik listed, Shelley said people should try to keep their homes cool and avoid using an oven.

Heat exhaustion or other related illnesses can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and fainting.

Overnight lows show temperatures dropping to between 12 C and 16 C during the heat wave, which Shelley said is a good thing as it allows buildings to cool down.

He said he’s expecting those forecasted lows to creep up to the mid to high teens once they near, which is “more dangerous” and doesn’t allow people’s bodies to recover as much.

“We’ll be monitoring as we head later into the week, and there very well could be some heat messaging or heat alerts that go out later in the week, should confidence increase for both the daytime highs, but also those overnight lows to be forecasted high,” Shelley said.

The Manitoba Soccer Association’s executive director said leagues have had to cancel games in the past because of heat.

Hector Vergara said there is guidance on when games can be played, and if they should be altered for water breaks.

Games or activities are automatically cancelled with a humidex at 40 C or above, while humidexes between 35 C and 39 C may lead to games being cancelled, delayed or having several water breaks during the match.

“The main responsibility is to keep the game safe for the participants, whether that’s the players, the referees, the coaches and even the parents who attend,” Vergara said about the leagues his association oversees.

He said leagues and officials have been good about following the policy in the past.

Associations for other sports have their own guidelines as well.

A Sport Manitoba official declined to comment, instead deferring to individual organizations.

Shelley said he is expecting above-average temperatures to continue next week.

Above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation are expected for the rest of the summer, he said.

Prairie Mountain Health didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time about the heat and how it will impact people in its care.

» alambert@brandonsun.com