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With a high of 35 C forecast for Wednesday across the Okanagan, this could be the warmest stretch of the summer. The 14-day forecast from The Weather Network shows no other days with maximum temperatures above 30 C. 

People without air conditioning don’t have to swelter without relief in the OkanaganÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ current heatwave, Interior Health says. 

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-30s today across the Valley, which has prompted a Heat Warning from Environment Canada. 

Air conditioning is much more common in the Okanagan than in Vancouver, where temperatures rarely exceed 30 C. A lack of access to air conditioned spaces was cited as a key contributing factor in the deaths of 619 British Columbians during the 2021 heat dome. 

During that event, the temperature reached 45.7 C in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ on June 29. The extreme heat was responsible for at least 12 deaths in the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ area, and 32 people across the Okanagan, the BC Coroners Service later determined. Most of the fatalities were of seniors, with 95 per cent of them dying in their own homes. 

The provincial government has not declared an extreme heat emergency for the current heatwave, which is expected to be short-lived with maximums dropping back to the mid-20s from Friday through the August long weekend. 

Nevertheless, Interior Health sent out a release this week offering tips on how people without air conditioning can stay cool. Suggestions include: 

- don’t make meals using the oven 

- wear a damp towel or shirt while at home 

- put an ice tray in front of a fan 

- drink lots of water

- use a personal mister to dose yourself with a cooling spray 

- avoid intense activitiesÂ