Heatwave hits Nunavut with ‘astounding’ temperatures
Environment Canada issues heat warnings for 8 Kitikmeot and Kivalliq communities
A heatwave has hit Nunavut’s Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions with temperatures above 30 C this week. (Graphic courtesy of Environment Canada)
A heatwave is hitting Kitikmeot and Kivalliq communities this week bringing temperatures above 30 C, twice as high as the average temperature for these regions at this time of year.
Environment Canada has issued heat alerts for Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, Kugluktuk, Naujaat and Taloyoak.
The Government of Nunavut issued a public health advisory for two communities Wednesday where the most extreme conditions are expected. Kugluktuk is expected to see a high of 33 C on Friday, while Kugaaruk’s forecast high is 26 C that day, according to Environment Canada.
“It’s astounding temperatures,” said Stephen Berg, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, in a phone interview Thursday.
Baker Lake, for instance, has had only eight days where temperatures reached 30 C since the start of record keeping in 1946, Berg said.
The extreme heat is caused by hot wind that is usually “confined in the prairie provinces,” like Alberta and Saskatchewan, but this time reached “a lot further north than it usually does,” he said.
Berg said with extreme heat there are increased chances of wildfires in the prairies with smoke reaching Nunavut communities.
Before moving east toward Nunavut, the mass of hot air caused record-breaking temperatures in Northwest Territories, including Fort Good Hope which saw temperatures as high as 35.7 C on Wednesday.
Relief is expected in Nunavut after the weekend with gradual cooling over the next week, Berg said.
With climate change hitting the Arctic more rapidly than the rest of the world, this might be a good time to think about infrastructure that will help mitigate the effects of future heatwaves, said Dr. André Corriveau, Nunavut’s acting chief public health officer, in a phone interview Thursday.
“Most people in northern communities are not used to heatwaves and people are not prepared,” he said.
“Very few people would have air conditioning, for example.”
He said these kinds of heat events might happen more often with climate change, and Nunavut should think about creating more public spaces where people can breathe clean air and cool off during the worst part of the day.
In the meantime, people in the Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions are recommended this week to drink cool liquids, wear loose-fitting clothing, avoid sun exposure, take cool showers and close their curtains during the daytime.
In case of heat stroke, residents should reach out to emergency services, the GN said in its advisory.
Environment Canada issued heat alerts for eight Kitikmeot and Kivalliq communities: Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, Kugluktuk, Naujaat and Taloyoak.(Image created by Arty Sarkisian)
This must be the first time in recorded history that all 5 Kitikmeot communities have heat warnings issued, normally its only Kugluktuk that gets them.
You can have the honour if you wish. Too hot in Kugluktuk.
Is it me or does Iqaluit have one of the worst summers in Nunavut? It’s like it’s sunny and warm to the west of us, to the east of us everywhere is sunny and warm but here in Iqaluit where it’s cold, overcast and raining. Same with spring, dark grey and cold.
I don’t get it.
Iqaluit and Cambay are roughly the same distance apart as London, England and Rome, Italy.
Cambay is also higher in latitude, further nort, still has better spring and summer weather over the no sun overcast conditions of Iqaluit.
Some places just have crappy weather.
I love it!
A taste of a southern summer day.
Oh, look, it’s summertime time weather with a few hot days, as in the past. But it’s a no-no to enjoy.
Instead, it is a wonderful time for politicians to hold onto the climate change agenda with force.
Talking in apocalyptic frenzy with repeating climate change phrases. For the control of minds to believe and only live in fear-fear-fear.
Funny that, when the mercury thermometer only started to be mass produced in the 1800. That’s when people around the world started recording temperatures. That means for a little over 200 years.
Are you aware of the weather extremes happening around the world or do you just make noises because you want to live in your own small mind?
From historical Environment Canada data on the Kitikmeot Weather Kugluktuk has hit 30 or higher over 19 times between 1989 and 2023. So I don’t think I would say it’s “astounding” It would also be nice if NN would pull this data as part of its reporting…….
Year Extr Max Temp (°C)
1989 34.9
1990 30.1
1996 31.1
1997 32.5
2000 31.2
2001 30.7
2013 32.5, 30.3
2014 31.0
2015 30.5
2016 31.2
2016 30.1
2017 30.7
2019 30.3
2020 30.0
2021 31.1
2021 30.2
2022 30.4
2023 30.8
Enjoy the last summer days and ready for the long cold winter again.
Gotta love the hot summer days.🥰
Check out the beaches.❤️🥰😍😘
Funny thing is Nn did a story on Kugluktuk selling AC units a couple years ago, but in a private house your ac bill is nuts..but still worth every penny, Ac one day furnace the next gotta love the Tropical Arctic weather in Kug.
30 C is not “twice as high” as 15 C. Temperature in Celsius is an interval variable (since the 0 is arbitrarily set at the freezing point of water), not a ratio variable (such as weight or height, where 0 is fixed). For example, if you convert the temperatures to F, the ratio would be completely different (86 F vs. 60 F).
You call the freezing point of water arbitrary when Fahrenheit’s lower defining point, 0 °F, was established as the freezing temperature of a solution of brine made from a mixture of water, ice, and ammonium chloride (a salt)?
I suppose 100c being the boiling point of water is equally as arbitrary to you as 90f being Mr. Fahrenheit’s best guess at the average temperature of the human body
That’s cause Iqaluit residents whine about everything. Wait for a couple of days. The City will close the place down and all government employees will be off for a long weekend as usual.
“With climate change hitting the Arctic more rapidly than the rest of the world …”
Since there is absolutely no evidence to support NN’s comment, why would NN make such a statement?