A large ridge of high pressure is going to bring the warmest air of the year to Newfoundland Wednesday and Thursday. In response to this, the Environment and Climate Change Canada Weather Office in Gander has issued a Heat Warning for a large part of western, interior, central and northeastern Newfoundland.

The Heat Warning will go into effect Wednesday and will end late Thursday, and is in effect for the following areas:

• Deer Lake – Humber Valley
• Buchans and the Interior
• Grand Falls-Windsor and vicinity
• Bay of Exploits
• Bonavista North
• Gander and vicinity
• Green Bay – White Bay
• Terra Nova

Temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius combined with overnight lows near 20 degrees Celsius are expected for the next 2 days.

Maximum daytime temperatures will be in the 28 to 33 range with Humidex of 33 to 40. It will be cooler along parts of the coast. Minimum nighttime temperatures will be in the 16 to 20 range. The higher end of that spectrum will occur on Thursday.

Make sure to drink plenty of water regularly, even before you feel thirsty to decrease your risk of dehydration. Thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration.

Watch for early signs of heat illness – feeling unwell, fatigue, thirst, headache – as these can rapidly evolve into life-threatening emergencies. Move to a cooler environment immediately, such as a shaded or air-conditioned space.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency! Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately if you or someone you are caring for has a high body temperature and is either confused, has stopped sweating or becomes unconscious. While waiting for help, cool the person right away: move them to a cool place, apply cold water to large areas of the skin and fan the person as much as possible.

Heat warnings are issued when very high temperature or humidity conditions are expected to pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion.