Canada, record heat up to almost 50 degrees: 486 deaths

The record heat wave continues in Canada, where temperatures have reached 50 degrees and in the last 5 days there have been 486 sudden deaths. The numbers refer to the province of British Columbia only and represent a 195% increase over the averages. “This significant increase in the number of deaths is believed to be due to the extreme heat wave,” said Lisa Lapointe, British Columbia’s chief coroner, noting that most of the deceased were elderly people living alone in homes without air conditioning. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed his condolences for the victims of this record heatwave. In fact, yesterday in Canada there was the highest temperature ever recorded, 49.6 degrees centigrade. The heat wave is also affecting the western states of the United States, with temperatures reaching 46.6 degrees in Portland, Oregon and 42.2 degrees in Seattle, Washington. And in Oregon, the authorities speak of 63 people who died from the exceptional heat, while there are 16 in the state of Washington.