BCEHS urges residents to get ready for warmer weather. But not anytime soon.

Jun 18, 2024 | 3:13 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It’s a common scene in Prince George. Puddles everywhere. Thunderstorms. And this weather will not go away any time soon.

“We’re just dealing with this and we’re trying to see when we’re going to come out of it and move in a more typical late June, early July weather as we start moving forward in time,” says Brian Proctor, Meteorologist with Environment Canada. “But it does look like it’s going to remain primarily unsettled at this point, at least into the last week of June, unfortunately.”

Environment Canada says there is hope on the horizon for salvaging summer. And as we move into summer and the heat is on, BC Emergency Health Services has a cautionary note.

“We want to get the word out to people about having things around the house like air conditioning and fans,” says Brian Twaites.

When hotter weather hits this region tends to raise the alarm over wildfires. There are currently 97 active in the Prince George Fire Centre. And where there’s fire, there’s smoke, something people who live in this region are well-familiar with. And there is a special subset of people most at risk.

“People most at risk, and especially people with any type of chronic illness like COPD, asthma, any lung diseases, things like that. These are people that are quite high at risk with that smoke,” explains Rachelle Bown with BCEHS.

So whether it’s a heat wave or a smoky summer, Emergency Health Services wants every British Columbian to plan ahead and be prepared for anything Mother Nature might throw our way.