In an effort to provide Londoners some relief from the heat, the city has opened four cooling centres.
They are located at the following community centres:
East Lions Community Centre, 1731 Churchill Ave.
South London Community Centre, 1119 Jalna Blvd.
Startech.com Community Centre and YMCA, 501 Southdale Rd. W.
North London Optimist Community Centre, 1345 Cheapside St.
The centres will be open daily to anyone wishing to cool down during regular operating hours. In addition to providing an air conditioned space, water is also available at the locations. For those in green spaces needing to hydrate, the city reminds that there are water fountains in Victoria Park, Gibbons Park, Springbank West Park, Pump House Park, and the Springbank House.
The cooling centres were opened as southwestern Ontario deals with a potentially dangerous heat wave. Environment Canada is forecasting daytime highs in the low-to-mid 30s with humidex values in the low-to-mid 40s all week. The overnight hours will not provide much of a break from the heat either, according to the national weather agency. Overnight lows will only go down to the low 20s, but with the humidity will still feel like the high 20s to low 30s. A heat warning is in place.
The extreme heat can lead to illnesses, particularly in infants, seniors, people with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease and respiratory issues, those with limited mobility, and people who work outdoors. Symptoms of heat related illness include headache, confusion, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, and muscle or abdominal cramps. Ways to avoid such illnesses include drinking plenty of water, wearing loose fitting clothing, limiting time outdoors, and taking a bath or shower periodically to lower body temperature.
The city's spray pads offer another way to cool down and are free to use daily between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. The full list of locations and their activation buttons can be found at london.ca/spraypads.
The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services mobile response team, the Coordinated Informed Response program's outreach group, and London Cares Outreach team have been activated and are handing out cold water, freezies and other cold snacks to the city's most vulnerable residents.