The polar vortex hovering over North America, which is expected to arrive in full force on Friday, began to cause temperatures to drop in western Canada on Thursday, with wind chill temperatures of -50 degrees.
The Canadian Meteorological Service warned Thursday that temperatures in the western province of Alberta were causing extreme cold in some areas reaching -50 degrees wind chill.
The authorities recommended that the population wear several layers of clothing and that the outermost layer should be windproof, while reminding people that “if it is too cold to be outdoors, it is also too cold for pets”.
In the province of Manitoba, also in the west, wind-chilled temperatures were between -40 and -45 degrees Celsius, which can cause frostbite on exposed skin “within minutes”.
The Weather Service warned that drivers should include emergency supplies, blankets and battery cables in their vehicles.
In the province of Ontario, in addition to the extreme cold, authorities warned that heavy rainfall of up to 10 centimeters will cause visibility problems on the roads on Thursday night and the accumulation of snow will make traffic difficult.
But forecasters warned that Friday and Saturday could see a further drop in temperatures due to the polar vortex over the western United States, which will also bring heavy snow and frost to southern parts of the United States.
In Toronto, whose metropolitan area is home to more than 6 million people and is the fourth largest city in North America, wind chill temperatures are forecast to be -30 degrees on Saturday morning. In Ottawa, the nation’s capital, the temperature will be -38 degrees.
With information from EFE
