The thermometer in British Columbia hit 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.67 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, breaking an 84-year heat record.
"Vancouver has never experienced heat like this, and sadly dozens of people are dying because of it", police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said in a Tuesday statement published by the VPD on Facebook.
As of Tuesday afternoon, police were called out to over 65 sudden deaths since the heat wave began on Friday. In comparison, there are usually around three to four sudden deaths on a regular day.
"Today [on Tuesday] alone, officers had responded to 20 sudden deaths as of 1:45 p.m., with more than a dozen others waiting for police to be dispatched", the VPD added.
Lytton may break the Canada 🇨🇦 temperature record again today. At 2pm it’s already 42C🥵
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) June 28, 2021
Other local records are likely to fall in Canada & NW USA as the life threatening #heatwave continues
The #heatdome will shift eastwards over next few days https://t.co/RUNNbQGeFR pic.twitter.com/9S0tApIdcb
The vast majority of these cases are related to heat.
"We've never seen anything like this, and it breaks our hearts. If you have an elderly or vulnerable family member, please give them a call or stop by to check on them", Sgt. Addison added.
Other cities in British Columbia have also reported a high number of sudden deaths. Officers in Burnaby reported 25 calls since Monday and Surrey saw 20 deaths on Monday and 18 by mid-morning on Tuesday.
Police officers are being redeployed from the investigation division and many are called in to work from home.
