Alberta to face heatwave amid ongoing wildfires

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement, saying unseasonably hot and dry temperatures are on the way for the province, including Calgary.

The highest temperatures are expected from Sunday to Tuesday, with daytime highs in the high 20s to low 30s. Overnight and early morning lows are expected to be in the low teens.

According to Environment Canada, these daytime highs will be 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal.

As temperatures rise, so does the risk of heat-related illness.

Also of concern is the high temperatures affect on ongoing wildfires in Alberta.

CityNews meteorologist Michael Kuss says this isn’t good news in the fight against fires.

Related links: 

• Alberta wildfire: Evacuee numbers drop as fire crews brace for heat 

• Wildfire risk raised as Alberta and B.C. brace for early heat wave 

“Even with some spotty showers over the last couple days and the risk of that or the potential for that again today, it’s just not enough moisture to help the wildfire fight,” he explained. “Now we are going to see incredibly dry conditions going forward and on top of that, the heat is going to build and that really causes issues as well.

“The only positive is, aside from the winds created by the fire, the winds themselves, the atmospheric winds, will not be that strong.”

Special air quality advisories have been issued in response to wildfire smoke for most of Alberta, as well as central and northeastern B.C.

The Alberta Wildfire dashboard showed 82 active fires as of Thursday, with 20 considered out of control.

There have been 423 wildfires in 2023, which is more than double the average in a typical wildfire season in the province.

-With files from Alejandro Melgar and The Canadian Press