New BrunswickSweltering temperatures across New Brunswick on Monday shattered heat records, including one dating back nearly 150 years, and more records are expected to be set Tuesday, as much of the province remains under a heat warning, according to a meteorologist.Miramichi reached nearly 38 C on Monday, beating record set in 1876Maximum daytime temperatures of 33 to 35 C are expected Tuesday through Wednesday across New Brunswick, except along the Bay of Fundy coast, which will be cooler, according to Environment Canada. (Roger Cosman/CBC)Sweltering temperatures across New Brunswick on Monday shattered heat records, including one dating back nearly 150 years, and more records are expected to be set Tuesday, as much of the province remains under a heat warning, according to a meteorologist.The Miramichi area, where crews are battling a wildfire now into its sixth day, was the hottest spot in the country at 37.6 C, said Crawford Luke of Environment Canada.The previous record for that northern area of the province on Aug. 11 was 36.7 C in 1876, he said.The Bathurst, Doaktown and Kouchibouguac areas also reached record-highs above 37 C, with the Moncton and St. Stephen areas close behind at about 36 C, and the Charlo and Fredericton areas both around 35 C.”Really, no matter where you went, it was just stinking hot,” Luke said.”Basically, we set a record pretty much across the entire province with the exception of the south shore, so Saint John and kind of along the Bay of Fundy and then, as well … Woodstock,” he said.WATCH | Construction workers battle heat wave: ‘It can be brutal’: How extreme heat is hitting construction workersIt’s summer in New Brunswick, a busy season for construction work. Here’s how construction workers try to beat the heat.On Tuesday, the temperature climbed to the mid-30s across most of New Brunswick again, with the humidex making it feel more like 38 to 42 C.”It’s definitely not something we want to be messing around with,” Luke said. “It’s definitely something to take seriously.”He recommends people avoid being out during the hottest afternoon hours, if possible. If they have to be out, they should stay hydrated, avoid overexertion and find ways to stay cool, such as taking a dip, he said.Drinks up to 6 litres of water a dayLarry Parent, who was part of road crew working in Saint John Tuesday, said he gets fainting spells in the heat and tries to stay hydrated as much as possible.”I drink Gatorade all day long, but four litres every day of water, sometimes six,” he said.Larry Parent, a road crew worker in Saint John, said they try to find shade during hot spells, but they often can’t escape the blazing sun. (Roger Cosman/CBC)They’re in the sun “dusk til dawn, pretty much,” and also have to deal with the scorching asphalt, Parent said.”It’s about 190 F. So … when I’m on my roller, I feel it right all the way through.”You learn to bring extra shirts because you go through them pretty quick.”‘It sucks the energy right out of you’Co-worker Daniel Maher, who was handling the compacter, said, “it can be brutal” working through a heat wave like this. “Like it sucks the energy right out of you.”They take “micro-breaks” of about 10 minutes when they can, and they try to find some shade, he said.”We sort of pair off, kind of thing. I’ll shovel for a bit and then go sit, get some [air conditioning] and then somebody else will take over and whatnot.”‘You definitely want to nap after a full day here in the heat,’ said Saint John road construction worker Daniel Maher. (Roger Cosman/CBC)They have a buddy system and watch out for each other, Maher said.”If it gets way too hot, they usually, they’ll shut it down. If it’s like getting close to 35 [C] into the 40s, they’ll shut ‘er down because you don’t want to see guys passing out in the middle of the road.”Earlier start to beat the heatNadin Sullivan, a construction worker in Fredericton who was doing framing Tuesday, said he’s from Ontario, so he’s used to the heat, but “this week has definitely been hot.””The heat’s a little bit different over here. I finally get a cool breeze, but the sun’s more intense,” he said.Co-worker Nathaniel Aitkin said it’s important they pace themselves.Meeda Berg has been a landscaper in the Fredericton area for about five years but said this summer feels like the hottest one yet.”We have to wear masks and big headphones when we’re cutting the stone, and that can be pretty warm. … The boots get pretty hot, too,” she said.Meeda Berg, a landscaper in Fredericton, said she forgot her hat and sunglasses Tuesday, and was looking forward to going home to sit in air conditioning. (Ben Ford/CBC)They normally put in about nine hours a day but have cut their days short twice this week to help manage the heat, Berg said.”This job that we’re doing right now, we’re under a deck, so that’s nice. It’s been a little more shady than usual.”On Wednesday, they plan to start at 6 a.m., a couple of hours earlier than usual.”I think it’ll make a bit of a difference.”Some relief possible ThursdayAccording to the forecast, it’s going to remain hot and dry across New Brunswick into Wednesday, Luke said.By Thursday, we should see temperatures back in the typical summertime range of the upper 20s,” and possibly some much-needed rain after most of the province “hasn’t even seen a drop” so far this month.”But it may not necessarily be a ton of rain, and it may not necessarily be a widespread rain,” he said.”Obviously, every little bit helps and we’ll take what we can get, but I’m not sure if this will be enough to really quell the concerns related to, you know, drought and fire and stuff like that, just because we are in quite a bit of a deficit right now, and I don’t think we’re going to really make up for it all with just this one rainfall.”For now, the heat warnings continue. The criteria to issue such warnings vary by region, Luke said.For New Brunswick, it’s at least two days in a row where the temperature is expected to meet or exceed 30 C and the overnight temperature stays at 18 C or warmer, or two days in a row with a humidex of 36 C, he said.”So this current heat wave, we’re blowing past this criteria. This is about as a slam dunk as it gets in terms of issuing heat warnings.”With files from Roger Cosman, Shaki Sutharsan, Ben Ford and Shift
New Brunswick heat wave breaks long-standing records
