GTA Weather: Forget Outdoors, You Can Get a Heat Stroke While Inside Your House
Health Canada has an unusual warning for GTA residents: staying indoors in temperatures even a couple of degrees above 26°C can result not only in heatstroke but also in death, especially for those over 60.
This is being cited as the primary reason for the new Toronto City Council legislation that would limit indoor temperatures in select GTA rental units to 26°C.
Dr. Samantha Green, a family doctor at St. Michael’s Hospital, reiterated that “indoor temperatures at 26°C or below are health protective, and that whenever indoor temperatures climb above 26 degrees, there is a risk to human health, especially for people who are older and people with chronic conditions.”
Why This Emphasis on 26°Degrees Celsius?
The problem with indoor heat is that we’re constantly exposed to it, often for prolonged periods, such as during sleep. That puts a strain on the body that can add up over time, experts say.
Health Canada advises avoiding exposure to indoor temperatures between 26°C and 31°C “whenever possible,” especially overnight or for multiple consecutive days.
Evidence suggests 31°C represents a “critical threshold where health impacts escalate dramatically,” according to the health agency.
This fact came to light in a 2024 research experiment by Glen Kenny, a University of Ottawa professor who studied the effects of heat on the human body. His experiment involved exposing a group of senior Ontarians to temperatures between 22 and 36°C for eight hours.
Their conclusion: Anything above 26°C increased core temperature and cardiac strain. If this situation is allowed to continue for a prolonged period of time, say for a few days, this ‘strain’ can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory distress, reduced physical and cognitive performance, and a higher risk of death, especially in vulnerable populations, according to Public Health Ontario.
The two groups of the population at greatest risk of such ‘indoor heat strokes’ are our elders, or individuals over 60, and our children. The reasons in both cases are the same: the inability of the body’s natural cooling system to cope with prolonged heat spells.
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