Heat Advisory in Toronto

With the floods in Central, Eastern, and Western Canada behind us, a heat advisory has been put into effect for the Toronto area for the second day in a row. Today, temperatures are expected to hit 34 degrees Celsius, but will reportedly feel like 41 degrees Celcius.

To help combat the heatwave, the city has opened several cooling centres to help residents stay cool. The centres will offer cold drinks and light snacks for residents as well as assistance to those affected by extreme heat. 

While it is important to stay hydrated on a daily basis, residents are urged to keep hydrated now more than ever, even if they do not feel thirsty.

Staying cool can be hard to do if you don't have a pool or central-air; some things you can do if you don't have these items is stay in the shade (if you have to be outside) and take cool showers or baths. It is important that children and pets are not left in parked vehicles on days like today, as heatstroke can ensue.

People who are at a greater risk such as the elderly, those with chronic illnesses, people with limited mobility, mental illnesses, infants, young people, people taking certain medications, the homeless and isolated adults are encouraged to seek shade, stay inside and drink plenty of fluids. Regulating body temperature on days like today is very important to avoiding heat-related illnesses.   

The cooling centres are located at the following addresses:

Metro Hall, 55 John Street - open 24 hours
East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yong St. - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Driftwood Community Centre - 4401 Jane St. - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
McGregor Community Centre, 2231 Lawrence Ave. E. - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Centennial Community Centre, 1967 Ellesmere Road - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.