It's important to keep cool and stay indoors this week.

An area of high pressure over the prairies is what's lead to this heatwave with a temperature forecast to hit 38 on Friday, August 10.

Environment Canad Meteorologist, Paul Cragg, says relief is on the way this weekend.

"This really hot weather will start to breakdown over the weekend, we're forecasting a high of around 24 in the Okotoks area on Saturday and all the way down to 19 on Sunday... so it'll be a pretty drastic shift in temperatures."

Cragg says B.C. wildfires are the reason the special air quality statement is also in effect.

"With an area of high pressure air sinks so that smoke that's moving in higher levels of the atmosphere moves over that area of high pressure and then sinks down to the ground and that's what you're seeing right now," he explains. "You're not just seeing the smoke, the smoke is actually coming down to the ground and affecting the air quality in the area."

He adds with both the heat warning and special air quality statement in effect, children and seniors should be particularly careful as they're more prone to difficulties with the conditions.

 

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