Heat warning blankets most of New Brunswick

Not even the breeze helped break through the humidity in Moncton, N.B., on Thursday, but Maritimers weren’t complaining.

“Very good, very good, absolutely,” said Devon Godfrey, who was at the Centennial pool with her son.

“It’s nice and hot and it brings kind of a better attitude, I don’t know, just less blah,” she laughed.

Heat warnings blanket most of New Brunswick for Thursday, Friday and possibly into the weekend, according to Environment Canada.

Temperatures are expected to hit between 29 and 32 degrees Celsius with the humidex making it feel closer to 39 degrees.

“It’s a lot,” said Godfrey.

“If you’re not super used to it, I think it’s a lot. You just have to take maybe some precautions and just drinks lots of water, stay out of the sun, sunscreen, and just the elderly and the little ones here just keep them in mind.”

At the fire hall in Riverview, crews were also working to beat the heat while they could. Training took place first thing in the morning before the temperatures climbed in the afternoon.

“We encourage our staff to stay well hydrated and we certainly do adjust our work schedule to the best of our abilities,” said Riverview Fire and Rescue Chief Robin True.

He says that extreme weather does cause emergency calls to fluctuate.

“We’re aware when we go to medical calls we have to be cognizant of the fact that heat-related illnesses could be at play,” he said.

“But, also, we do tend to have an increase sometimes in respiratory complaints and heart-related complaints as well during the hot weather. So, obviously, it puts a strain on the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system.”

For Greenfoot Energy Solutions, high temperatures meant high call volumes.

“The calls all of a sudden just flooded in, not that we don’t get a lot of calls already, but the heat just hit and people are calling,” said Rob Brydges, the company’s social media expert.

He says people can help cool their homes by keeping their blinds closed during the day and making sure their equipment is working efficiently.

“Get it serviced, get it cleaned out if you can’t do it yourself. If you can do it yourself, clean the filters, make sure the airflow is right,” he said.

Brydges adds that while Thursday saw an influx in calls, he expects things to get busier as the hot weather sticks around.

However, while some worked to cool down inside, others embraced the outdoors. By 11 a.m., Moncton’s Centennial pool broke records for the first time this summer.

“Other than our first day, I don’t think we’ve had over 200 people in the pool. Right now, we’re sitting around 300 in the pool,” said Curtis Smith, the lifeguard supervisor.

“It was the first time we’ve had a line this morning, it was nice to see.”

Little relief is expected overnight Thursday, with lows lingering around 18 degrees.

Environment Canada recommends people only go outside during the coolest parts of the day and never leave pets or people inside parked vehicles.

“Think about in advance of things that you can do, such as staying well hydrated and having a cool place to go when you recognize that you (are) starting to experience any signs or symptoms of heat stress,” said True.

Adding, “it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as muscle cramps or heat exhaustion and heat stroke.”

SWIM ADVISORIES

No swim advisories were issued Thursday at beaches in the Halifax Regional Municipality and Saint John due to high bacteria levels.

Water safety officials are urging people to swim at supervised beaches, while acknowledging an ongoing shortage of lifeguards.

Grégoire Cormier of the Lifesaving Society in New Brunswick said some park managers are still making a last-ditch effort to staff beaches, while others are cutting back on the number of days lifeguards are on duty.

“Typically the days that aren’t as busy,” said Cormier, adding that it becomes even more important to swim in the company of others if supervised areas aren’t possible.

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