Sheila🇨🇦 @sheilad506 - Twitter Profile

about 1 year ago

#ONStorm #ONwx ⚠️ Heat Warning PSA ⚠️ Every time Environment Canada issues a heat warning, the comment section inevitably turns into a circus of “this is just normal summer weather” and “why do we need a warning for summer?” Let’s clear things up. You know what else is normal in summer? Thunderstorms and tornadoes. We get them every year too. So by that logic, why warn for storms? Because they’re dangerous, they cause damage, and they can kill. That’s the point of warnings - to give people time to protect themselves. Same goes for heat. It’s actually one of the top weather-related killers in Canada. Just because it’s sunny and quiet doesn’t mean it’s harmless. When temperatures soar into the 30s and stay hot overnight, it gets dangerous fast, especially with high humidity. And sure, you might love the heat and have AC at home to cool off. Great for you. But not everyone has that luxury. Many people live without air conditioning or are unhoused entirely. A heat warning gives them and local agencies a heads-up to take action, whether it’s opening cooling centres, checking on at-risk folks or just making sure people have a plan to stay safe. Environment Canada doesn’t issue warnings just because it’s hot. They do it when the heat reaches levels that are statistically proven to increase the risk of illness and death. The thresholds are based on local climate norms and public health data. For Southern Ontario, that means: - Heat warnings in Southern Ontario are issued when two or more days in a row are expected to hit 31°C or warmer during the day, with overnight lows staying at or above 20°C. Or, if the humidex is forecast to reach 40 or higher for two or more days. - For Windsor and Chatham, which tend to be hotter, the criteria are slightly higher; 31°C+ during the day with nights staying at 21°C or more, or humidex values of 42 or higher. And yes, those thresholds are different across the country. In Nunavut, a heat warning can be issued at 22°C because that’s hot for their region. Context matters. Here in Southern Ontario, July is typically the hottest month with average highs around 25 to 28°C - which, by the way, is still below the warning threshold. So when warnings go out, it’s because we’re going beyond what’s safe. There’s no conspiracy. No agenda. Just a simple goal to prevent illness and save lives. If a warning doesn’t apply to you, that’s fine. But maybe, just maybe, someone else needs it. So instead of melting down in the comments, just scroll on by. - Brennen

IWeatherON's tweet photo. #ONStorm #ONwx ⚠️ Heat Warning PSA ⚠️

Every time Environment Canada issues a heat warning, the comment section inevitably turns into a circus of “this is just normal summer weather” and “why do we need a warning for summer?”

Let’s clear things up.

You know what else is normal in summer? Thunderstorms and tornadoes. We get them every year too. So by that logic, why warn for storms? Because they’re dangerous, they cause damage, and they can kill. That’s the point of warnings - to give people time to protect themselves.

Same goes for heat. It’s actually one of the top weather-related killers in Canada. Just because it’s sunny and quiet doesn’t mean it’s harmless. When temperatures soar into the 30s and stay hot overnight, it gets dangerous fast, especially with high humidity.

And sure, you might love the heat and have AC at home to cool off. Great for you. But not everyone has that luxury. Many people live without air conditioning or are unhoused entirely. A heat warning gives them and local agencies a heads-up to take action, whether it’s opening cooling centres, checking on at-risk folks or just making sure people have a plan to stay safe.

Environment Canada doesn’t issue warnings just because it’s hot. They do it when the heat reaches levels that are statistically proven to increase the risk of illness and death. The thresholds are based on local climate norms and public health data. For Southern Ontario, that means:

- Heat warnings in Southern Ontario are issued when two or more days in a row are expected to hit 31°C or warmer during the day, with overnight lows staying at or above 20°C. Or, if the humidex is forecast to reach 40 or higher for two or more days.

- For Windsor and Chatham, which tend to be hotter, the criteria are slightly higher; 31°C+ during the day with nights staying at 21°C or more, or humidex values of 42 or higher.

And yes, those thresholds are different across the country. In Nunavut, a heat warning can be issued at 22°C because that’s hot for their region. Context matters.

Here in Southern Ontario, July is typically the hottest month with average highs around 25 to 28°C - which, by the way, is still below the warning threshold. So when warnings go out, it’s because we’re going beyond what’s safe.

There’s no conspiracy. No agenda. Just a simple goal to prevent illness and save lives.

If a warning doesn’t apply to you, that’s fine. But maybe, just maybe, someone else needs it. So instead of melting down in the comments, just scroll on by.

- Brennen

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