Canada heatwave live: 250 die in historic ‘heat dome' across Pacific Northwest as price gougers rip off victims


Smoke and flames are seen during the Sparks Lake wildfire at Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia on 29 June

Temperatures have soared close to 50C as the US Pacific north-west and Canada is gripped by a heatwave that has already contributed to dozens of deaths.

The sweltering heat is being caused by a "heat dome" according to meteorologists, as temperatures climbed to 49.5C in Lytton, British Columbia, on Tuesday.

In Vancouver, the police department said it had redeployed dozens of officers and asked the public to call 911 only for emergencies because heat-related deaths had depleted frontline resources and delayed response times.

The force added that it had already responded to 130 sudden deaths since last Friday.

In the American west temperatures hit a high of 46C in Portland, Oregon, as roads buckled, schools were closed and large wildfires continue to burn in the region.

Source