Yup, it was a hot day yesterday

It was hot in Montreal yesterday. Very hot, with a high of 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) and with the humidity factor, a temperature that felt like in the 40s (over 104 F).

Environment Canada has this Humidex chart that gives you an idea of how the temperatures feel according to the humidity in the air.

We don’t have air conditioning in our house. It’s a 45-year-old home that has hot water heating, so to put in central air would be expensive. We’d have to go with the ductless type. Window units drive me crazy with their noise, but we do have one in our bedroom we use on the really hot nights. I’m lucky in that I don’t often feel the heat, but I do feel the humidity. Oddly enough, it shows when it’s humid because I can’t laugh. My asthma is affected by the humidity and if I laugh, I have to take a deep breath and I can’t. So, I end up coughing away for hours all because I laughed. I know, I said it was odd. :-)

We’re young though, we’re healthy, so the heat is really more annoying than anything else. But I worry for those who aren’t young and aren’t healthy. The elderly who live in top floor apartments or flats so not only does the heat rise, but they have the sun beating down on them. Those with limited resources can’t afford to air condition their homes. Our city does declare an emergency when we hit a certain temperature for three days in a row, so that is some consolation. When that happens, they open shelters and air conditioned areas for those who need the help.

We know the drill of how to stay safe in excessively hot weather: drink plenty of fluids, stay inside as much as possible, don’t do anything strenuous if you can avoid it, and so on. But there are still a lot of people who don’t take it seriously enough and do develop heatstroke, or hyperthermia.

How serious is heat stroke? According to the Centers for Disease Control in the United States, during the period between and including 1999 to 2003, there were 3442 deaths related to heat. Of these 3442, 65% (2239) were directly caused by the heat. Heat was considered a contributing factor to the remaining number of deaths. Some of these deaths make the news, like when it’s a student athlete: Heat-related deaths in middle, high school football players spikes in 2006.


The Red Cross has this very informative page about heat-related illnesses. They discuss the prevention, the different stages, and emergency interventions for people who are affected.

Oh, and one more thing – watch out for Fido. Dogs feel the heat too. Don’t let them overexert themselves in the heat. Walks should be kept to a minimum and don’t forget that the pavement is burning hot on those paw pads. And please, please, please, don’t leave your pooch in the car, even with the windows cracked. It’s like leaving him in an oven.


News for Today:

Screening improves detection of major stroke risk factor
Ontario to provide teenage girls with HPV vaccine
Alberta gets first human case of West Nile
Breastfeeding moms quitting too soon, officials say
Many heart attack patients still not getting emergency clot-busting treatment
Heat-related deaths in middle, high school football players spikes in 2006

Montreal Heats Up - Literally

It’s hot here. Very hot. Montreal can range from degrees in the minus 30s (Celsius) in the winter and the plus 30s in the summer. Yesterday it reached over 30 and with the humidity, the weather people are saying it felt like around 40 degrees. For the Fahrenheit people among us, that’s a winter low in the minus 20s and a summer high in the high 80s, low 90s, or up to 104 with the humidity factored in.

I know lots of places have it hot like that much of the time, but getting it in a few weeks at a time, that’s pretty intense. I’m pretty lucky in that I don’t usually feel the heat. People will be saying “man, it’s hot!” and I’ll be saying, “I guess.” My family has learned that if I say it’s hot, it’s hot. We don’t have air conditioning. Our house can’t have central A/C unless we do the ductless type ($$$) and window A/C would be a lot of wasted energy because of the openness between the rooms on the main level. The racket would be enormous if we put units in every window, and just a few wouldn’t work. So, we live with a unit in the bedroom for sleeping. All the rooms have ceiling fans and if it gets really hot, the kids used to grab cot mattresses and sleep on the floor in our room. Whatever works, right?

Today is Montreal’s second day with this heat. The city administration says that it takes three days in a row with these temperatures to declare an emergency. That means they extend pool hours, open air conditioned shelters for those who can’t cope with the heat, and they make special arrangements to be sure people are as safe as can be. Of course, no-one wants a repeat of the high death toll that hit Paris, France, a few years ago when they had a massive heat wave.

One of the problems I have without feeling the heat as much is that I really don’t drink enough fluids. I never do at the best of times as I’m rarely thirsty, but in heat like this, that can become dangerous. I’ve tried keeping drinks next to me, carrying water bottles, you name it – I’ve tried it. I just don’t think to drink. So, today, I have a 750 mL bottle of sparkling water on my desk and I’m trying hard to think to take a few swigs every so often.

For those of you who are in high heat areas, take it easy, take it slow. If you're like one of my sons and has to work outside, make sure you take care of yourself and really drink enough water. Save the intense exercise for cooler days and nights. Oh - and don't forget our four-legged friends. If it's hot for us, it's hot for them. Keep the walks short and make sure Fido or Fifi have plenty of water when they get back. Heat stroke is just as serious for them.

Won’t be long before the heat breaks here and then we’ll be complaining again about our lousy weather.

Today’s news:
Childhood cancer survivors face health risks
Incomplete colonoscopy more likely at MD's office

Sorry, couldn’t resist adding this one!
Older Cancer Survivors Pull Their Weight in Workplace, Study Finds