Environment Canada has issued a yellow heat warning for Hay River, Northwest Territories, with daytime highs near 30°C and overnight lows in the mid-teens expected into next week.
The warning covers the Hay River Region including Enterprise and began early Thursday morning. This kind of extended heat is unusual for Hay River, where summer daytime highs normally sit between 15 and 22°C.
Residents are being told to drink plenty of water, check on older adults and other vulnerable neighbours, and never leave people or pets inside parked vehicles. Some areas close to Great Slave Lake may get a break in the afternoon when winds blow onshore and bring cooler air off the water.
The town of about 3,200 people has been looking for money to set up a cooling centre after past heat waves exposed gaps. The Hay River Community Centre does not have air conditioning, and a territorial program to create cleaner, cooler air spaces was still being worked on as of August 2024.
The heat is part of a larger pattern that has put millions of Canadians under warnings this week, from Ontario to the Northwest Territories. Environment Canada’s yellow warning is the lowest of three levels, signalling a moderate risk that can still be dangerous for people without access to cooling.
