Heat wave prompts health alerts in Ontario, Quebec

Officials have issued health warnings in both Ontario and Quebec today, after the weather entered into its third straight day of sweltering heat and humidity, and investigators are currently looking into whether the heat played a role in two deaths in the Montreal area.

According to CBC News, it has been confirmed by the director of Montreal's public health service, Richard Massé, that one person died on Tuesday and there was another reported death today, but it hasn't yet been determined if the heat was a factor in these deaths.

[ Related: 'No relief in sight' as mercury rises in Toronto ]

Southwestern Quebec remains under a heat and humidity warning, with severe thunderstorm warnings in effect as well. Southern Ontario remains under a humidex advisory.

The City of Toronto issued an Extreme Heat Alert on Tuesday, which is in effect until further notice, advising residents to stay in touch with friends and relatives who may be at risk of suffering from heat-related illnesses. The city has also opened up several cooling stations to help people escape from the heat and humidity.

Other cities across Ontario issued alerts and warnings of their own. Hamilton's Medical Officer of Health issued a Heat Alert on Tuesday. Windsor-Essex's StayCool program issued a Level 2 Heat Alert. Officials in Ottawa issued a Heat Warning on Monday, which is in effect until further notice.

The City of Montreal issued its own statements about the heat and humidity warning, with safety tips and recommendations on where to go to cool down.

Temperatures have been climbing into the low 30s the past three days and many regions have achieved official "heat wave" status as of today, by reaching at least 32 degrees Celsius for the third day in a row.

[ More Geekquinox: Eastern Canada continues to sweat as humidex tops 40 ]

It's been the humidity that comes along with these high temperatures that have made things so unbearable, though. Humidex values have been up into the 40s during the day, and have even stayed in the high 30s overnight, offering no relief at all.

High humidity makes it tough for our bodies to cool down, since it becomes harder for the air to absorb more moisture and we depend on the evaporation of sweat from our skin to cool our blood. Getting out of the heat and humidity into an air-conditioned building gives your body a chance to cool down, and drinking plenty of water also helps, as you can become dehydrated very quickly under these conditions.

This weather is expected to persist until the weekend, when forecasters are expecting a cold front to sweep through, ushering in some cooler, drier weather that should last into next week.

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