Emergency officials are monitoring weather around the clock during a dangerous time for vulnerable people, with Windsor sweating under a prolonged heat wave. The region has experienced a week-long heat wave that Environment Canada says is setting records.
Unprecedented heat wave
Dan Metcalfe, who spent 25 years as a paramedic and the last 11 managing Essex County’s emergency response, said he has never seen a hot stretch quite like it. “This is kind of unprecedented, a week-long heat wave at this level that’s setting records,” said Metcalfe, emergency management coordinator with the County of Essex. “And it’s something to watch because it’s happening around the world, too.”
Environment Canada kept its Orange Alert in place all week, meaning severe weather is likely to cause significant damage, disruption, or health impacts which “are major, widespread, and/or may last a few days.”
Temperature and humidex
The federal weather agency said Thursday that the “long duration heat event,” which began Monday with forecasted highs of 37°C, would extend through Friday and possibly into the weekend. Temperatures could still hit 35°C in the Windsor area, with the humidex making it feel more like 47°C. There will continue to be little nighttime relief from the heat, with minimum temperatures only dipping to somewhere between 21°C and 25°C.
Heat-related emergencies
Slawomir Pulcer, deputy chief of professional standards for Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS), said paramedics have seen a slight increase in heat-related emergencies. But that doesn’t paint the full picture. “The true impact is difficult to measure because they’re not always clearly identified as heat-related emergencies,” said Pulcer. “So, patients can call 911 because they’re having shortness of breath, they’re weak, they’re dizzy, they’re fatigued. And heat is the contributing factor, but it’s defined differently.”
Monitoring and response
Metcalfe said the county and its partners have constantly monitored temperatures and its effects since the heat wave began. “I’m getting alerts from Environment Canada, I’m attending weather briefings with Environment Canada and the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre,” he said. Metcalfe said he has been spreading those updates through internal departments including Emergency Medical Services, road crews, and housing services.
“A lot of the emergency managers from the municipalities here in the Windsor-Essex region and right across Ontario are doing much of the same thing,” said Metcalfe. “We work very closely with Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, and we push their messaging out as well, and the Environment Canada weather briefing updates, just to keep everybody in our departments and the municipality informed for their safety.”
Outlook and advice
Even after the extreme high temperatures break, Environment Canada said temperatures will still hit 30°C through next week. “Take action to protect yourself and others — extreme heat can affect everyone’s health,” Environment Canada stated in a hot weather warning. “Determine if you or others around you are at greater risk of heat illness. Check on older adults, those living alone and other at-risk people in-person or on the phone multiple times a day.”
