Ottawa: Canada continued to reel under heatwave conditions after the country braced Monday for its highest ever temperature.
Police in the Vancouver area have responded to more than 130 sudden deaths since Friday. Most were elderly or had underlying health conditions.
They said the heat was a contributing factor in many cases.
On Tuesday, Canada recorded its highest ever temperature for a third straight day – 49.5C (121F) in Lytton, British Columbia.
Before this week, temperatures in the country had never passed 45C. The heatwave is due to a dome of high pressure hovering over the north-western US and Canada.
The US and Canada have both warned citizens of dangerous” heat levels that could persist this week.
Lytton in British Columbia soared to 46.6C (116F) on Sunday, breaking an 84-year-old record, officials said
This high pressure zone is huge, from California right up to Canada’s Arctic territories and stretching inland through Idaho
British Columbia’s power providers said there had been a surge in demand for electricity to keep air-conditioners running.
