More than 34 people in Vancouver, Canada, died suddenly on June 28 due to an unprecedented heatwave, The Telegraph reported.
A heat warning was issued after Vancouver’s temperature reached a record high of 47 degrees Celsius, putting many residents’ lives at risk.
“An investigation is underway. The temperature is considered the cause of most of the deaths,” said Michael Kalanj, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. According to Kalanj, most of the deceased were elderly.
In the face of this unprecedented heat, residents in many areas across Canada and the U.S. flocked to rivers, lakes, and cooling centers to escape the heat, while COVID-19 testing centers and schools were forced to close.
In regions where most people do not have air conditioning, some had to sleep in cars parked in underground garages or use makeshift “air conditioning” made from fans and ice packs.
Inside a cooling center in Portland, USA on June 27. (Photo: Reuters).
In the Pacific Northwest, June is typically referred to as “Juneuary” due to its cool, rainy weather, with high temperatures usually hovering around 21.1 degrees Celsius.
However, this year, scorching heat has pushed temperatures to record highs in many cities across the United States, including Seattle (42 degrees Celsius), Portland (46.6 degrees Celsius), and Salem (47.2 degrees Celsius).
Canada also recently recorded unprecedented temperatures, with the Lytton area in British Columbia reaching 47.9 degrees Celsius.
Residents of British Columbia, Canada, cooling off at Alouette Lake. (Photo: Reuters).
The record-breaking numbers are attributed to a “heat dome,” a term used to describe an area of high pressure that traps hot air inside, leading to extreme heat in the regions below.
