The Irish Get Tips On How To Survive A Heat Wave

Ireland is experiencing its worst heat wave in more than 40 years with temperatures hitting almost 90 — which is really hot for Ireland.</s>The heat-related death toll jumped to 34 across Quebec Thursday, as Environment Canada issued a smog and heat warning for today.

As of midday, Montérégie's public health department reported two more deaths caused by the worst heat wave Quebec has seen in decades. Montreal's health department reported 18, and seven have been reported in the Eastern Townships.

One death in Laval and six in the Mauricie-Centre-du-Québec region brought the total number of heat-related deaths in the province up to 34, and more are expected.

It's not clear whether people in other Canadian provinces — including in Ontario — affected by similar extreme heat and humidity have died. That's because the reporting system differs from province to province.



In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario said that it hadn't had any confirmed reports of heat-related deaths, but added that "an investigation can take at least 90 days before the cause of death is confirmed depending on the circumstances and the complexity of the case."

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None of the deaths in Quebec took place in public health institutions, according to Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois.

"We have to remain vigilant and continue to take precautions to avoid health problems," Charlebois said Thursday at a news conference.

Charlebois encouraged people to reach out to loved ones, especially those who might be more vulnerable.

"The situation should be back to normal shortly."

Health officials have said the people who died didn't have air conditioning in their homes and had health issues.

Temperatures expected to drop Friday

Humidex values will reach between 40 and 45 in the Montreal region today.

Charlebois praised the health network for working together, saying their efforts bore fruit.

"I think institutions are managing very well right now."

The heat wave began on June 29. Only now, a week later, is there some relief in the forecast. A high of 23 C is predicted for Friday and cooler temperatures will last through the weekend, into next week.

Health officials have said the people who died didn't have air conditioning in their homes and had health issues. (Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada)

Environment Canada says the areas most affected by the heat wave include the Island of Montreal, Châteauguay/La Prairie, Laval, Longueuil and Varennes.

A smog warning is also in effect for those areas as, Environment Canada states, high concentrations of ozone are expected and will result in poor air quality.

"High concentrations of pollutants are expected to persist through tonight," the agency says, noting smog is especially hard on asthmatic children and people with respiratory ailments or heart disease.

Across southern Quebec, public officials have been urging citizens to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses while, at the same time, keeping an eye on friends, family and neighbours.

In a press conference Wednesday, Mayor Valérie Plante said she is counting on Montrealers to knock on doors "just to find out if the person is O.K. It's a team effort."

'It's not over yet'

Although the temperature's expected to drop Friday, public health officials in Montreal are warning that they are still in intervention mode, because risk increases with each hot day.

"Today is the highest-risk day for people who have not had access to cold places," said Dr. David Kaiser from Montreal's public health department.

"It's not over yet."

None of the deaths took place in public health institutions, Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois said Thursday. (CBC)

The regional director of Montreal's public health department, Mylène Drouin, said officials have visited 34,000 homes where people might be more vulnerable to those risks.

The 12 people who have died from the heat in Montreal fit the profile of people who are more at risk — many were over the age of 65 and had histories of physical or mental health problems.

"None of them had access to air conditioning," Kaiser said. "Many of them were living alone."

Public health officials in the Eastern Townships and Montreal were asking the population to check on their neighbours.</s>The Irish Get Tips On How To Survive A Heat Wave

Ireland is experiencing it's worst heat wave in more than 40 years, with temperatures hitting almost 90, which is really hot for Ireland.</s>A spokeswoman for Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois confirmed the number of persons who died from the heat, the Canadian Press reported. Local officials cautioned the hot weather will persist over the weekend and beyond despite the authorities lifting the heat warning.

People who were affected by the high temperatures had suffered from chronic illnesses and many of them lived alone, the report cited medical specialists as saying.

Canada’s environmental agency said Thursday the majority of deaths happened Montreal, but other areas affected by the heat wave include Chateauguay/La Prairie, Laval, Longueuil and Varennes, CBC reported. Quebec is experiencing the worst heat wave it has seen in decades and the risk of more deaths remains high.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday offered condolences to those bereaved. He warned that record temperatures were expected to continue. Canada’s emergency service reportedly said earlier it had received over 1,000 of calls a day since the heat began, an uptick of 30 percent from its busiest days.</s>July 5 (UPI) -- More than 30 people have died as a result of a heat wave in the Canadian province of Quebec, officials said Thursday.

The heat-related death toll increased to 34 as temperatures rose as high as 95 F and Environment Canada issued a smog and heat warning for the province, the CBC reported.

Montreal's health department reported 18 deaths, seven were reported in the Eastern Townships, six were reported in the Mauricie-Centre-du-Québec region, Montérégie's public health department reported two and one more was reported in Laval.

The heat wave began last Friday and the death toll has increased every day this week.

Most of the victims were between 50 to 80 years old and Montreal public health official Mylene Drouin said most of those who died in Montreal were older than 65, had no air conditioning and had prior health issues.

Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois said none of the deaths in Quebec took place in public health institutions.

"We have to remain vigilant and continue to take precautions to avoid health problems," said Charlebois.

Officials urged residents to keep themselves hydrated and remain in the shade, while Montreal opened pools and air conditioned spaces to the public.

"We're doing everything we can," Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said.

Plante also said first responders have been going door-to-door to check on about 15,000 vulnerable residents and encouraged people to check on their neighbors as well.

"'Im counting on Montrealers to knock on doors, maybe of a neighbor, just to find out if the person is OK. It's a team effort," Plante said.

Environment Canada said the heat is supposed to give way on Friday with highs dropping to 75 F.</s>At least 33 people have died as a result of the heatwave that has blanketed much of southern Quebec and other parts of central and eastern Canada, regional health authorities said in an update on Thursday.

And provincial authorities are bracing for more as Environment Canada issued a heat and smog warning for parts of southern Quebec on Thursday.

Temperatures in Montreal and the surrounding areas are expected to climb to 35 C – nearly 10 degrees higher than the average high for the season. Humidity will make it feel like temperatures between 40 C and 45 C, Environment Canada said.

Dr. Mylene Drouin, head of the regional health authority, told reporters at a press conference the majority of victims were between the ages 50 and 80.

“For the last three days we have been in a full response mode in the Montreal region,” she said, adding that regional health authorities have set up 19 air-conditioned shelters for residents needing a reprieve from the oppressive heat.

None of the deaths took place in public health institutions, according to Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois.

“We have to remain vigilant and continue to take precautions to avoid health problems,” Charlebois said Thursday at a news conference.

Checking on the most vulnerable

Montreal’s civil protection agency has launched a door-to-door campaign to check on people deemed most vulnerable to the heat – those in low-income neighbourhoods with no air conditioning in their residences, people with chronic illnesses or suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues.

Specially trained teams, including mental health professionals, firefighters and police officers, are checking on vulnerable residents, Drouin said.

They have visited over 34,000 vulnerable residents to check on them during the week-long heatwave, she added.

Since the heatwave began Saturday, the provincial ambulance service said it has received, on average, 1,200 calls per day from distressed citizens, stretching paramedics’ ability to respond to other emergencies.

Provincial health authorities recommend taking the following measures to prevent heat-related health problems:
• Drink six to eight glasses of water per day;
• Spend at least two hours a day in an air conditioned or cool place;
• Take at least one shower or cool bath per day, or cool your skin several times per day with wet towels;
• Never leave a child or a baby alone in a vehicle or a poorly ventilated room, even for a few minutes;

The heat is expected to break Thursday night, with temperatures dropping to about 23 degrees Celsius on Friday morning.</s>The worst heat wave in decades has claimed 21 lives in Canada with another day of scorching temperatures and related smog expected Thursday.

The province of Quebec was hit with highs of 86 F plus temperatures (30 C) beginning June 29 with accompanying humidex levels of between 104 F – 113 F (40 C -45 C).

The most affected areas are in the Montreal region and firefighters and police there have knocked on 15,000 doors in the past week to check on the welfare of residents.

The victims who succumbed to the heat were between the ages of 50 and 80 and did not have air conditioning in their residences and lived alone in apartments, officials said.

As well, most had health issues aggravated by the poor air quality that is a byproduct of the excessively high heat and humidity, said Regional Health Authority Dr. Mylene Drouin.

“For the moment, they (deaths) conform exactly to the characteristics we’ve described – people with chronic illness, mental health problems, people living alone, people living in apartment blocks between four-to-six stories and without air conditioning.”

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said along with police and firefighters, residents need to check on vulnerable neighbors.

“If you know people with respiratory problems or people who are elderly, don’t hesitate to visit them or give them a phone call to see if they need anything,” she said at a committee meeting.

Environment Canada issued a smog warning as “high concentrations of pollutants are expected to persist through the night.”

The forecast calls for the heat to dissipate somewhat by Friday with temperatures at 77 F (25 C), normal for this time of year.</s>Thirty-three people have died in Quebec from one of the worst heat waves to hit eastern and central Canada in decades, authorities said underscoring the vulnerability of elderly, ill and poor people during the hot summer months.

Dr David Kaiser, the senior physician at Montreal’s public health agency, said that most of those who had died from the heat in Montreal were 65 or older, had histories of health problems or mental illness and had been living without air-conditioning.

He said that disadvantaged people who had chronic illnesses or were living alone were particularly vulnerable.

“While we are an advanced industrialized economy, these deaths reflect that there are serious social inequalities,” he said, adding that many wealthy countries the world over had been hit by heat waves associated with climate change.

Public health authorities in Quebec have made a concerted effort to improve the reporting of heat-related deaths. They have set up a special liaison program with hospitals and emergency rooms to monitor heat-related illnesses and mortality, Kaiser said, which may explain why the number of deaths seems high compared to elsewhere in the nation.

On Thursday, as temperatures in Montreal rose to 33 degrees, local residents sought refuge in park fountains or remained inside in air-conditioned homes or offices. Some elderly residents cancelled appointments and stayed at home, eager to avoid the stifling heat outside.

Home appliance stores have been mobbed in recent days, with residents trying to buy air-conditioners, only to discover that all the units are sold out.

At a sprawling Home Depot store in central Montreal, about 20 shoppers were seen fighting this week over the last remaining air-conditioner. “It’s survival of the fittest,” said Victor Perchet, who managed to get it.

Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for southern Quebec, much of Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. To protect themselves against the heat, it called on residents to drink six to eight glasses of water a day, to avoid alcohol, to spend at least two hours a day in air-conditioned or cool places, and to avoid leaving children or babies alone in sweltering vehicles.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter to warn people to be vigilant. “My thoughts are with the loved ones of those who have died in Quebec during this heat wave,” he wrote. “The record temperatures are expected to continue in central & eastern Canada, so make sure you know how to protect yourself & your family.”

Police and firefighters in Montreal visited 15,000 homes this week to check on elderly residents. The emergency services in Montreal said they had experienced a sharp increase in calls since the heat wave began — a total of some 1,200 calls a day.

Mayor Valérie Plante of Montreal called on the city to come together to protect against the heat, including knocking on neighbors’ doors “just to find out if the person is OK.” She added, "It’s a team effort.”
The death toll from the worst heat wave in decades in Quebec rises to 34.