Today's scorching heat has several regions of the Foothills under two weather warnings.

The forecast high of 29 degrees combined with the overnight low of 14 meets the threshold for a Heat Warning, and also has the region under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

Temperatures are expected to cool down somewhat in the next few days, with the heat warning likely to end on Thursday evening or early Friday morning.

Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment Canada Blaine Lowry says there are some precautions to keep in mind in this kind of heat.

"One of the key ones is to stay hydrated. You're also going to want to find a cool space if possible. That's a bit more difficult in common spaces right now with gathering restrictions due to COVID-19 and whatnot, but that's something people will want to try and do safely if they can."

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in place as a direct result of the heat.

Lowry says the chances of a storm aren't particularly high, but if one does form, it's likely to be a mean one.

"The confidence of thunderstorm development today in the region is actually not necessarily high, it's probably moderate at best, however, there is the knowledge from the forecasters that if storms do occur in that area today, they have a good potential of being severe."

The degree of severity could range from strong winds, to hail and heavy rain, and even the risk of a tornado, according to Environment Canada's website.

To stay up to date on the local forecast, click here.

To view the weather alerts page for the region, click here.

 

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