Northern heat warnings have health experts offering advice
From going for a swim, to making outdoor plans for cooler parts of the day, officials with Public Health Sudbury & Districts say there are several ways to prevent heat related illness caused by the hot and humid weather.
"Make sure you’re drinking lots of water and taking breaks in the shade, and if its possible, take a break in an air conditioned space," Jane Mantyla of Public Health Sudbury & Districts said.
Mantyla says knowing the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness is important as well.
"Heat illness can happen to anyone and I’m sure if you were to survey your friends or family they’ll be numerous people of have experienced feeling super tired, getting a head ache even muscle cramps especially if you’re exercising or working outdoors," she said.
Other symptoms include dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting, headache, rapid breathing and heartbeat, extreme thirst, and decreased urination with unusually dark yellow urine.
Here is a list of additional tips of preventing heat-related illness from Public Health:
- While being COVID safe, frequently visit or check-in on neighbours, friends, and older family members, especially those who are chronically ill, to make sure that they are cool and hydrated
- Drink plenty of cool liquids, especially water, before you feel thirsty to decrease your risk of dehydration. Thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration
- Babies under 6 months of age do not need extra water in hot weather; however, you might need to feed them more often. Follow your baby’s feeding cues. Encourage babies over 6 months and children to drink frequently. Offer the breast or if not breastfeeding, offer water
- Reschedule or plan outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day. Remember to practice physical distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19
- Wear loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing made of breathable fabric
- Never leave people or pets in your care inside a parked vehicle or in direct sunlight—even if the windows are down
- Take a break from the heat by spending a few hours in a cool place
- Take a cool bath or shower periodically, or cool down with cool, wet towels
- Prepare meals that do not need to be cooked in your oven
- Block sun out by closing awnings, curtains, or blinds during the day
- Avoid sun exposure. Shade yourself by wearing a wide-brimmed, breathable hat, or using an umbrella
This reminder of preventing heat-related illness comes as Environment Canada issues a heat warning for many communities across northern Ontario.
Heat warnings are issued when the forecast rises for two days to 29 C or above during the day and 18 C or above at night, or the humidex is 36 C or above.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.