By Tanya Cronin

Kamloops residents beating the heat

Jun 19, 2018 | 4:58 PM

KAMLOOPS — The official start to summer is this Thursday, but if the recent spike in temperatures is any indication, summer is already here. As of five o’clock Tuesday, the mercury hit 35 degrees, that’s 95 Fahrenheit. The normal for this time of year is 25 degrees Celsius, and daytime temperatures won’t be dropping below 30 for the most of the week. While many of us have been waiting for the hot weather for months, not everyone is celebrating. For people who have to work outdoors, the sudden ‘surge into summer’ is proving challenging.

It might still be two days away from the first official start of summer, but in Kamloops the heat and humidity is penetrating down.

“It’s nice because there’s grass for us to sit on and everything and my dog loves the water so he’s happy with that,” says Nicole Zuber.

For Nicole and her dog Lincoln, the water at Pioneer Park is the perfect place to stay cool on what is so far, one of the hottest days of the month. 

“I’m hopefully out all day with him if I can, if not either early morning or later afternoon when it’s not scorching hot, unless we’re at the water because he’s got sensitive little feet and they burn on the pavement,” says Zuber.

A heat wave has rolled in and temperatures right across the province are rising fast. By noon Tuesday, the mercury in Kamloops had already hit the high 20’s, and the daytime high reached 35 degrees.

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“Not a cloud in the sky and it’s hot, we’re out here pushing mowers, we’re weed whacking, in some cases shoveling gravel and the heat beats down on you and there’s sometime not a lot of shade,” says George Murphy, 4 Seasons Landscaping Employee.

It takes landscapers long hours to mold a property to perfection, and labouring under the harsh sun make the job more difficult. 

“Lots of water, make sure the crews take lots of water breaks, shade breaks when they can get them, we usually bring cases of water out from the shop every morning just to keep everybody hydrated,” says Murphy.

Frequent water breaks is the key for construction workers as well, who have come armed with a variety of tools to beat the blistering heat.

“We’re installing the Hardie Plank and the siding and all the trim, we’ve done this one and that one, we’ve been up here forever kind of used to it now, working in the heat is just another day at work, drink lots of water,” says Tyler Wilson, Taylor Exteriors Employee.

As temperatures hover nearly 10 degrees above average for the middle of June, ice cream shops are busy serving up a treat. 

“I definitely come and get ice cream a lot especially when I’m at school, I like to come at lunch because it does get really warm,” says Scoopz Ice Cream Parlour customer.

With over 100 flavours to choose from, Scoopz Ice Cream Parlour downtown is cooling the summer heat with some creamy deliciousness. 

“We see a lot of people usually we have a line going out the door on really hot days, it’s really important to stay cool and get your ice cream fix,” says Hannah Ferguson, Scoopz Employee.

The sizzling heat will last for at least a few more days. So if you’re outdoors, remember to opt for a spot in the shade if you can, re-apply sunscreen and stay hydrated.