July 05, 2023
The Canadian Climate Institute analysis found that extreme heat could kill 1,370 people and send 6,000 to hospital each year in B.C. by 2030 if the province doesn’t adapt its essential infrastructure. Intense heat waves could also cost the province around $100 million in healthcare and more than $12 billion in life lost annually by the end of the decade. The report is the first cost analysis of the heat dome in late June 2021, during which temperatures soared to record levels. The extreme heat killed more than 600 people that summer. Among the report’s recommendations is an extreme heat-specific disaster plan for healthcare. It concludes all regions of Canada need to adapt to these changes.