By Sheldon Spackman

mid to high 30s

Record-setting heat wave on the way

Jun 25, 2021 | 1:51 PM

Settle in for what will very likely be the hottest week of the year, and in quite some time, in central Alberta.

Environment and Climate Change Canada says Red Deer is expected to see daytime highs ranging from 25 – 36 degrees Celsius between June 25 and July 1.

Meteorologist Justin Shelley says a very large ridge of high pressure currently in B.C. is making its way into Alberta.

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“It’s going to bring with it a prolonged heat event that is going to be both severe in terms of single day temperatures and in terms of the duration,” warns Shelley. “We typically don’t see these heat events for this long. Usually we have a couple of hot days and then we have a bit of a reprieve, but we won’t see that with this event.”

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“Anywhere from six to eight days is what we’re looking at for temperatures approaching or above 30 degrees, and within that, we could see mid-30s the middle of next week,” adds Shelley. “For reference, Red Deer averages three-and-a-half days a year above 30 degrees and we typically only see a 30 degree day in June in Red Deer, about every one in four years.”

Shelley says record temperatures will likely be set in the coming days.

“Red Deer’s all-time record actually occurred June 28 and 29 in 1937 (37.2 degrees Celsius),” he shared. “So those two days in terms of records, might be safe. But later on after that, I see June 30 we’re forecasting 36, and the record for that day for instance is only 30. So we’ll likely see at least daily records broken in the region. Whether an all-time record is broken is yet to be seen.”

Shelley notes Red Deer’s all-time temperature record was also reached on July 2, 1924, and July 8, 1906.

Shelley further points out the importance of being aware of the signs of heat-related illness in these extreme temperatures.

“Feeling faint, dizzy, having a fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, that sort of thing. And it’s important to check in on people who are high-risk. Make sure they’re staying cool.”

Shelley encourages people to schedule any outdoor activities for example, during the coolest parts of the day like early morning or later in the evening, drink plenty of water, and maintain your hydration throughout the course of the day. He also warns to not leave any pets or children in the back of a vehicle for any length of time.

“At temperatures like this, a parked vehicle becomes quite dangerous in only a few minutes,” adds Shelley. “I just want to encourage people to keep an eye on the forecast and have a way to get heat alerts. You can check it out on our website or you can download the Weather Can app.”