Western Canada is still gripped by unbearable heat. In British Columbia, another temperature record broke on Monday, surpassing the one measured the day before. Temperatures in the small town of Lytton reached 47.9 degrees Celsius on Monday, breaking Sunday’s record of 46.6 degrees. Another record fell on Tuesday – 49.5 degrees. Before the current heat wave in the country, the temperature never exceeded 45 degrees Celsius, writes the British BBC.
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The list of News contacted the Czech Lenka Smičková, who has lived in Vancouver, Canada for more than seven years. She described what the situation on the spot looked like. “Since Saturday, there have been heat that I have never experienced in Canada,” he said.
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Unconventionally colored sky blue due to tropical weather on the streets of Vancouver.
“We’re lucky to live in the house, but we don’t have air conditioning, like most people in Vancouver. Locals are not used to such heatwaves. The houses here are built of chipboard, so no insulation like Czech brick houses. The worst are people from the center or anyone who lives in a high-rise building older than 10 years, because they do not have air conditioning, and believe me, I lived in one of them and it’s like one big greenhouse, “he explains. That’s why people try to cool down as much as possible. Some therefore choose to buy refrigeration equipment. However, this becomes a scarce commodity.
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“Shops with fans and air conditioners are sold out. Some even resell the old ones for more than the new ones, “he describes the dismal situation. “People are so desperate to bathe on the city beach, although this is not recommended due to bacteria in the water. All lakes are filled with people from 10 am, “he adds.
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Others choose a more curious solution as an escape from the heat. “Vancouver has sold out almost all hotel rooms since Sunday. The reason is not tourists, but Vancouver residents… Those who do not have air conditioning simply paid for an air-conditioned hotel room. Among them are our friends who have a one-year-old baby, “he explains the non-traditional ways Canadians face the hot weather.
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In the summer, temperatures in Vancouver are around thirty degrees Celsius. This year they crossed the 40-degree limit.
The Czech Republic also describes how other common ways to cool off fail in the tropical heat. “The wind from the ocean was as hot as your hair dryer for the first time in your life,” he describes his feelings on the ferry from the surf resort of Tofino back to Vancouver.
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In addition, Lenka, as a businesswoman and owner of a household cleaning company, had to close several clients herself due to the absence of air conditioning in the families. He states that schools are also closed.
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The sun is never so red as it is now on tropical days, says Lenka.
Canadian server CTV News reported on Tuesday the sudden death of 25 people, mostly seniors, most likely due to heat. “We see that this weather can be deadly for vulnerable members of our community, especially the elderly and people with basic health problems. It is essential that we check each other during this extreme heat, “said Mike Kalanj, a local police representative. The number of victims is increasing rapidly, currently numbering about 130, according to the BBC.
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“The government has made no restrictions other than banning any fire. Neither the cooker nor the matches are allowed, because that is what we are all afraid of here. So that there are no fires like in 2016 and 2017, when the forests were burning with the moon and the smoke was so thick all over British Columbia and Alberta that the sun could not be seen, “Lenka recalls in fear. Nevertheless, he tries to look to the future with optimism. “According to the forecast, it should be only 33 degrees Celsius for the whole week,” he adds.
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