Saskatoon under Level Two extreme emergency heat response

Saskatchewan is at the beginning of a heatwave that is expected to continue right through the weekend.

Temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-thirties on Thursday and Friday, but the biggest concern will be the overnight lows which may only dip down to 20 or 21 degrees Celsius starting early Thursday morning.

“We’re really asking the residents of Saskatoon to reach out to those living in apartments and condos that are not air conditioned,” said Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Saskatoon’s director of emergency management. “If you have relatives or friends or neighbours who are living in those kinds of conditions, reach out and check on them. Let them know about places they can go to cool off.”

Heat-related symptoms include nausea, headaches and dizziness.

The city assists with the operation of 10 cooling centres in Saskatoon, including the drop-in centre in Riversdale on Avenue C and Station 20 West in Pleasant Hill. Twenty-two spray pools will open on Friday, three days earlier than originally scheduled.

Goulden-McLeod says this is the earliest that the Extreme Heat Emergency Response plan has been implemented.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a yellow warning about extreme temperatures on Tuesday.