Hundreds of deaths reported across Canada, Pacific Northwest amid unrelenting heat wave

GBNEWS24 DESK//

Coastal areas in the Pacific Northwest have seen the worst of recent record-breaking heat, but millions in eastern Washington and Oregon are still under heat advisories through the upcoming weekend.

Hundreds of deaths have been reported across the Pacific Northwest and Canada amid a heat wave that has also swept through parts of America’s Northeast.

At least 486 sudden deaths have been reported in Canada, a 195% increase in deaths that would typically happen in a five-day period.

“While it is too early to say with certainty how many of these deaths are heat related, it is believed likely that the significant increase in deaths reported is attributable to extreme weather (British Columbia) has experienced and continues to impact many parts of our province,” British Columbia Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a statement.

And while the heat is expected to let up on the US East Coast, more than 4.5 million people in eastern Washington and Oregon are under heat alerts that are likely to last through at least Friday and in some areas until Sunday, according to CNN meteorologist Michael Guy.

Six western states remain under heat alerts Thursday, with record-breaking heat likely to continue from eastern Washington and Oregon to Montana and south into Nevada and northern California.

The most extreme heat will be centered over eastern sections of Washington and Idaho where temperatures of 110 degrees and higher are possible again.
Record heat will reach the Northern Plains and the Upper Midwest this weekend with the Dakotas and Minnesota reaching well into the 90s.

The Canada heat, which reached the country’s highest recorded temperature of 121 on Tuesday in British Columbia, is expected to subside by early next week.

“A colder air mass will be moving into eastern Canada by Tuesday and the Canadian portion of the heat wave will be over by then,” Guy said.

While Boston and New York have experienced record-breaking heat, temperatures on the East Coast dropped Wednesday night, and heavy rain is expected for that region on Thursday.