More than a thousand people in the Pacific Northwest have visited hospitals with heat-related illnesses and dozens died over the weekend, when the record heatwave started beating down on the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada. In Vancouver, at least 69 people have died suddenly, according to Canadian authorities. In Washington, 676 people have visited emergency rooms as a result of the heat since Friday, according to local health officials. In Oregon, the number was 459. Across the entire Pacific Northwest, upward of 1,100 people have sought treatment in hospitals for heat-induced sickness.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, hospitals have admitted around half the number of patients with heat-related illnesses this weekend that they would usually expect for an entire summer. Multnomah County’s EMS reportedly received a record number of calls for service on Sunday alone. Jennifer Vines, Multnomah County’s health officer, said: “People’s bodies are stressed... My main message is to take this for the serious health threat that this is.” Meanwhile, the Canadian town of Lytton has broken the national heat record for a second day in a row. The town broke the Canadian record Sunday with 115 degrees Fahrenheit, but hit 117.5 on Monday.
Read it at OPB
