MONTREAL

Heat warning as Montreal sweats on hottest day of the year

CTV Montreal Published Wednesday, July 29, 2015 4:31PM EDT Last Updated Wednesday, July 29, 2015 8:10PM EDT

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Wednesday marks the hottest day of the heat wave hanging in Montreal this week.

For the third day in a row, temperatures have been above seasonal, but the mercury peaked Wednesday at 32 degrees Celsius, with a Humidex rating of 41.

Thunderstorm warnings were again listed for regions of southern Quebec, with less severe watches in place for Montreal and the nearby surrounding areas. The watches were later dropped for Montreal and Laval.

Thursday will be marked by showers in the morning, a high of 29, with a Humidex putting the temperature around 38 degrees Celsius. Temperatures will become more comfortable heading into the weekend.

Environment Canada issued heat warnings on Wednesday for Montreal, as well as areas of northern Ontario, including Sudbury and North Bay, and for the Ottawa-Gatineau region, where temperatures were expected to break records on Wednesday.

While the heat warning is in effect, Environment Canada is advising residents to try to stay cool, drink lots of water, and be on the lookout for symptoms of heat illness.

Elderly people, children, and those with chronic illness are at increased risk of developing heat stroke or heat exhaustion, and the agency urges friends, family, and neighbours to check in on the vulnerable and monitor for signs of illness.

Symptoms of heat related illness include:

dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting
headache
rapid breathing and heartbeat
extreme thirst and
decreased urination with unusually dark yellow urine

If somebody is experiencing these symptoms, Environment Canada recommends that person get to a cool space and drink lots of liquids, preferably water.

To keep cool, Environment Canada recommends wearing light-coloured, loose clothing and wide-brimmed hats, and keeping blinds or drapes closed if air conditioning isn't an option.

It also recommends seeking cool, air conditioned public spaces, such as shopping malls, libraries, and community centres.

"People have to stay cool as much as possible. Avoid going out in the heat or being physically active in the heat," Anthony Levinson, a psychiatry and neuroscience professor at McMaster University, told CTV News Channel.

Montreal’s public health department also reminded people to never leave a child or dog unattended in a car.

That’s something it seems someone in Ile Perrot today Wednesday, with one couple posting their outrage on Facebook after reportedly rescuing this dog out of a sweltering vehicle.

Arrived at metro ile perrot to find this guy locked in a hot car with a crack in the window. Employee told us he had...
Posted by Shannon Amanda on Monday, 27 July 2015

Others took to Facebook to express concern over Montreal's caleche horses being made to work in above 30-degree heat, which contravenes a city bylaw.

Look up close you could see someone sitting in the back of the buggy in the shade. While the horse is drained and has no shade at all !!!!They have the horses still working in this heat wave..
Posted by Donna Martineau on Wednesday, 29 July 2015

The following areas of Southern Quebec fall under Environment Canada's heat warning.