Canada NewsWire
TORONTO, July 23, 2016
TORONTO, July 23, 2016 /CNW/ - Based on information from Environment Canada, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Toronto's Acting Medical Officer of Health, has upgraded the Heat Warning to an Extended Heat Warning for today. The Extended Heat Warning will be in effect until further notice.
During an Extended Heat Warning, the public is encouraged to visit family, friends and neighbours, especially isolated adults and seniors who are at greater risk of suffering from heat-related illness, to make sure they are cool and drinking plenty of fluids. Other groups at risk include people with chronic illnesses, individuals with limited mobility or certain mental health illnesses, infants and young children, people on certain medications, and those who are homeless.
In addition to air-conditioned shopping malls, local libraries and neighbourhood community centres, cooling centres are open during Extended Heat Warnings at the following seven locations:
Members of the public are also advised to beat the heat by taking these precautions:
Landlords of buildings without air conditioning are encouraged to provide a dedicated cooling room for vulnerable residents to escape the heat. Community agencies are encouraged to educate clients on the risks of heat-related illness and to call or check on those clients at increased risk of heat-related illness during warnings.
When a warning is declared, those who need assistance or have heat-related inquiries may call 311.
More information about how to beat the heat is available at http://bitly.com/1ks3FTv.
Water and snacks are available at the seven cooling centres: http://bitly.com/1iWlzIP. Fact sheet: http://bit.ly/29GsZ8G
Air pollution often increases during hot weather conditions. People with heart and lung conditions, seniors and children should pay special attention to the hourly Air Quality Health Index levels and forecasts that are available at http://bitly.com/1neJmrP.
Information to help residents prepare for extreme weather and weatherproof their homes is available at http://www.toronto.ca/extremeweatherready.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
SOURCE City of Toronto