With temperatures forecast to reach 28C Monday and nighttime lows set to dip to just 17C, the Sunshine Coast is under a heat warning.
Temperatures are set to remain high Tuesday, cooling some Wednesday-Thursday before rains are forecast to return Friday.
As such, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, which manages emergency preparedness on the Sunshine Coast, is sharing information on air-conditioned community spaces available for people to visit and cool down.
- The Gibsons and Area Community Centre lobby is open 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.
- The Sechelt Aquatic Centre lobby is also open 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. weekdays, with pool hours varying from those.
- Malls (such as Sunnycrest and Trail Bay), libraries (such as Gibsons & District and Sechelt Public) and shaded green spaces also provide relief from the heat.
People more at risk from extreme heat include people 65 and older, people who are pregnant, infants and young children, people with limited mobility, people who live alone, people with pre-existing health conditions, people with mental illness, people with substance use disorders, people who are marginally housed, and people who work in hot environments, according to the Government of BC.
If one's residence has a sustained internal temperature of 31C or warmer, plan to go elsewhere during extreme heat, says the government website.
Staying hydrated is another oft-shared tip –– drink lots of water.
Beach season
For those looking to beat the heat by dipping into the ocean, the Sunshine Coast has bountiful beaches.
Sechelt maintains 50 beach accesses; find out more on its website.
Gibsons has four beaches (Armours, Georgia, Pebbles and Atlee/Franklin), find out more on its website.
SCRD says it maintains more than 40 beach accesses; find out more on its website.
