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Keeping cool on a hot day

Alberta Health Services suggests a few tips to stay cool this weekend
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Several Central Albertans stayed cool at Discovery Canyon in Red Deer Thursday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to rise above 30 C Friday. (Photo by SEAN MCINTOSH/Advocate staff)

With temperatures expected to rise above 30 C this weekend, Alberta Health Services is encouraging Central Albertans to stay cool.

According to Environment Canada, Friday will have a high temperature of 31 C.

“It’s important to know the harms of heat … and the precautions you need to take to protect yourself,” said Dr. Mohammed Mosli, AHS medical officer of health.

Mosli suggested a few tips to stay cool:

  • Keep hydrated; with water, not alcoholic or caffeinated drinks.
  • Take breaks from the sun.
  • Try to stay in shade.
  • If possible, consider scheduling outdoor activities for a cooler day.
  • Wear loose bright coloured clothes.
  • Use sunscreen with a minimum of 30 FPS.

“Be ready and be prepared when it’s a hot day like it is (Friday),” he said. “You also need to be mindful how to protect yourself. It’s important to recognize that even a healthy person can be at risk from hot temperatures.”

Warm weather could cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke, Mosli said.

“It is a life-threatening condition, so it’s not something to be taken lightly,” he said.

Signs of heat-caused illness include high body temperature, fainting and a sudden lack of sweating, which is due to the body trying to hold in moisture.

Mosli said if you or another person are suffering from these symptoms, seek medical attentions and move to a cool area either indoors or in the shade.

“Their outer clothes should also be removed, including shoes, and you should try to wrap that person in a wet towel until medical care is provided,” he said.

Cases of heat exhaustion or heat stroke are more rare in Alberta than some other areas in the province, Mosli added.

“We hope not to see any cases in Alberta this summer,” he said.

Mosli said it’s a good idea to keep an eye on Environment Canada or the Weather Channel to know how hot it is before you go outside.

More information is available at www.ahs.ca/heat.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

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Cory Whitney and his four-year-old daughter Kali ride in a tube at Discovery Canyon in Red Deer Thursday. (Photo by SEAN MCINTOSH/Advocate staff)


Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
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