Another blast of hot weather on the way

Temperatures won’t hit the mid 40s like back in June, but people are still advised to prepare for hotter weather later this week.

The mercury in the North and Central Okanagan will get up to the mid 30s by Thursday before cooling down a bit by Sunday. It’s being called a mini-heat wave, the third in B.C. this summer.

“A building ridge of high pressure with rising temperatures is forecast to arrive at the end of this [work] week. Daytime temperatures near or above 35 degrees are expected with overnight minimum temperatures near or above 18 degrees. The time frame of hottest weather is Thursday to Saturday,” said a special weather statement from Enviroment Canada.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the important things are to stay hydrated, preferably with water, and to keep pets and children cool.

“It’s not anticipated to reach the same extreme levels of late June and early July, but we still need to prepare. The anticipated temperatures can cause negative health outcomes, particularly when the temperatures doesnt fall that low at night,” said Henry.

Henry expects there will be community cooling spaces opened for people and there are also ways to beat the heat at home.

“At high temperatures, fans alone can actually be dehydrating and they may not be effective, but you can do things like applying a cool water mist or wet towel prior to sitting in front of a fan and that is a quicker way to cool off,” advised the province’s top doctor.