Heat warnings for east central/southern Alberta; thunderstorms possible along foothills

Temperatures will remain well above seasonal for portions of east-central and southeastern Alberta and central and southern Saskatchewan as a dominant ridge of high pressure sits over the region.

A yellow-level heat warning has been issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), with the weather agency explaining, “Temperatures reaching 33 C combined with overnight lows near 16 C are expected for the next four days.”

Temperatures from Highway 2 to the foothills as well as along the QEII and areas west to the foothills will also be warm, but not quite to the threshold level for a heat warning.

Prolonged periods of exposure to high temperatures create an elevated risk of heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and/or exhaustion, so it is important to take breaks from the heat and for both humans and animals to stay hydrated.

Symptoms of heat stroke or heat exhaustion include high body temperature, lack of sweat, confusion, fainting and unconsciousness, and according to ECCC, certain individuals are more vulnerable and “can experience earlier or more severe effects from heat, including infants, children, seniors and individuals with pre-existing lung, heart, kidney, nervous system, mental health or diabetic conditions, outdoor workers, as well as those who are socially isolated.”

To the west of that ridge sits a low-pressure system moving south to north from Montana toward the Yellowhead highway, which will create some instability on both sides of the Rockies over the next two days.

Scattered showers are expected along the foothills and throughout the B.C. interior on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a moderate risk of thunderstorm development.

Calgary is likely to see some rain Tuesday (three to five millimetres), with clearer conditions expected Wednesday.

A weather-pattern shift ahead of the weekend will bring more persistent rain to southern Alberta on Saturday and Sunday due to a Pacific low-pressure system sitting just off of the B.C. coast.

Calgary is likely to see a drop in temperatures after Friday with 10 to 15 millimetres of rain possible on both Saturday and Sunday.