Canada baking in dangerous record-smashing heatwave, filling hospitals and shuttering schools

Western Canada is roasting in an unprecedented heatwave, filling hospitals with cases of heat exhaustion and forcing schools and businesses to close.

Lytton in British Columbia soared to 47 degrees Celsius – smashing the all-time Canadian heat record.

Vancouver residents tell broadcaster CBC that they’re struggling to breathe and sleep through the night. Only 40 per cent of homes have air conditioners, which are flying off shelves as shops fail to meet the demand.

The “heat dome” – static high pressure acting like a lid on a saucepan – is also engulfing western US states and has been linked to dozens of deaths.