Record-breaking heatwave hits North America

An unprecedented heatwave has struck the western US and Canada, with highs of nearly 50 degrees Celsius.

Authorities in Portland, Oregon, have set up cooling centres where people can go to get some relief from the scorching heat.

Jenny Carver is a senior emergency management analyst.

Jenny Carver: On Friday around 1pm, we opened three cooling center locations throughout the county. Currently we're serving about 350 people across all three of those locations."

The highest temperatures since records began have forced school and Covid vaccination centre closures. Even Olympic track and field qualifying competitions were postponed.

Local resident Ashley is taking advantage of the cooling centre.

Ashley: "I, I came here because - I, I have an apartment and I have box fans and ice, a freezer and everything - but it just, like, wasn't enough to keep everything cool. Especially at night, because it was like 90 degrees at midnight or some - or 80 degrees or something - it was crazy.

In Canada alone, hundreds of untimely deaths have been reported, many attributed to the sweltering conditions. In Vancouver, officials set up temporary fountains and misting stations to provide people with some relief.

However, Ian Widgery, who runs an ice cream parlour, offers another solution.

Ian Widgery: "My gosh! The heat is crazy at the moment. And there's only one way to stay cool, which is by eating a lot of ice cream."

Attributed to a ridge of high pressure which is progressing across the continent, these soaring temperatures are believed by experts to be the direct result of climate change.

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