The unprecedented heat wave on the west coast of North America continues.The effects in the Canadian coastal province of British Columbia are particularly dramatic.
There, forensic medicine registered 486 sudden and unexpected deaths from last Friday to yesterday.This is almost three times as much as in such a period.The authorities assume that the strong increase is related to the extreme heat.
Forest fires spread out
Forest fires also rage in several places in the province of British Columbia."After about 15 minutes, our whole town was on fire".This was said by the Mayor of Lytton to the Canadian broadcaster CBC.
The village of Lytton around 150 kilometers in the northeast of Vancouver was therefore completely evacuated on Wednesday evening.There the temperature had risen to 49.6 degrees on Tuesday.It was the highest temperature in Canada.
There are also forest fires around Lytton.Streets are blocked.Hundreds of houses had to be evacuated.Air conditioned centers were set up in the affected region, in which people can find refuge from the heat.The authorities called on to take precautionary measures and help those at risk.
Heat wave also in the USA
The neighboring US states Washington and Oregon are also affected by the heat wave.Since Friday alone, 45 people died through the high temperatures in the Multnomah County district, which includes the largest city of Oregon.In Washington, the number of dead increased to 13.
Many of the fatalities were between 44 and 97 with health problems.According to the forensic medicine authority, they were found alone and without air conditioning or fan.In these cases, the cause of death is hyperthermia, i.e. a dangerous overheating of the body.
The temperatures in the US states Washington and Oregon have returned to the usual values for the season since Wednesday.
