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Smoke from B.C., California wildfires actually keeping N.L. temps down

A number of heat warnings are in effect for Newfoundland this week, with high temperatures and humidity expected, but it's actually cooler than originally predicted.

That's due to a screen of high-altitude smoke making its way to this province from the wildfires burning in British Columbia and California.

"Because of the smoke that we have coming in from the fires out west, we may not get as hot as we initially thought, but we're still look at a day that's pushing 30 degrees," says Jennifer Kowal, a meteorologist with Environment Canada's Gander weather office.

"With the humidity it looks like it's going to feel more like 35."

On Monday, Kowal said people noticed a bit of cloud cover across the island, but she said it wasn't clouds.

"There's so much smoke coming in from the fires in B.C. and California, and it's just been going on for long enough that that air has reached us here," she told CBC's St. John's Morning Show.

"It's not unheard of, is I guess all I can say. Unfortunately, with fires that go on for this long, that smoke is going to go somewhere."

Not affecting air quality

The smoke is hovering in the atmosphere more than 20,000 feet up, Kowal said, so it's not affecting air quality or health, and people won't be able to smell it.

"It acts like a really thin high cloud, so it just filters a little bit of the intensity of the sun, makes it a little bit cooler in the daytime," she said.

"But it also, because it acts a bit like a cloud, will make it so that we don't lose as much heat at night, so it will keep the nights a little bit warmer."

Kowal said people can expect the hot temperatures and humidity to last much of this week, before a cold front moves in on Thursday, bringing lower temperatures and a bit of rain.

But that doesn't mean summer's gone for good.

Kowal said by next week, forecasts show high temperatures and sunshine returning to the province.

Meanwhile, Dr. Claudia Sarbu, the chief medical officer of health for Newfoundland and Labrador, said people need to plan ahead to ensure they're dealing with the heat.

"Try to plan your outdoor activities in the morning or evening," said Sarbu.

"And then if you really have to be outdoors during heat times, like between 10 and two or three o'clock, then try to take a couple of hours' break from the heat and go somewhere indoors with air conditioning so your body has time to cool down."

Sarbu said heat exhaustion and heat stroke are big concerns and can be life-threatening if not taken seriously.

Drinking water is key, she said, as well as avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which can contribute to dehydration.

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