Calgary on track for warmest August ever

Another day, another heat warning in Calgary.

The city has been dealing with high temperatures for weeks, although it hasn’t been quite as hot as last year’s heat dome. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Kyle Fougere, August has been a month to remember so far, but it hasn’t quite been a record breaker.

“Almost every day has been above normal in Calgary. Only two days so far have actually been below normal,” Fougere said.

Through the first 17 days of the month, Calgary’s mean temperature is a reported 19.4 degrees. Fougere says that if the trend continued, August would come just shy of breaking an average city temperature record.

“If it were that for the entire month, that would be the second warmest August on record. Only 1971 had a warmer August at 19.6,” Fougere explained.

Temperatures through the next 10 days are expected to range between the high 20s and low 30s, but despite the persistent heat, its extremity hasn’t necessarily been severe.

“We haven’t set any daily records for Calgary during this warm spell, but it has been consistently hot as this ridge of high pressure has been in place consistently and just hasn’t broken down,” Fougere said.

Environment and Climate Change Canada says heat warnings are issued when the hot weather increases risk of heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

The agency says to stay out of the sun if you can. If you can’t avoid it, try to at least not to stay in the sun all day. You’re advised to choose the cooler hours of the day to be outside and try to find a place with air conditioning where you can rest.

Never leave your child or pet in a closed vehicle for any amount of time, and remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

When a heat warning is issued, it’s important to keep an eye on yourself and others for symptoms of heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Symptoms include:

• High body temperature
• Lack of sweat
• Confusion
• Fainting
• Unconsciousness

You should also pay particular attention to kids, seniors, people who work outside, and people with underlying health conditions, as they can be more susceptible to the effects of heat.

For more information about heat warnings visit Alberta Health Services website.

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