TDSB warns of ‘uncomfortable conditions' at some schools amid heat wave

CTV News

5 days ago

An empty classroom is shown at a school in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
The Toronto District School Board is warning of 'uncomfortable conditions' at some schools as a heat wave continues in the city.
Environment Canada said Monday's daytime high of 36 C could feel closer to 46 when factoring in the humidity.
'Across the TDSB, while some schools are fully air conditioned and some are partially air conditioned, others have no air conditioning and the extreme heat will result in uncomfortable conditions,' the school board said in a letter to parents.
'Please encourage children to wear light clothing, hats, and sunscreen and drink lots of water throughout the school day to stay well hydrated.'
The TDSB said staff will use fans to provide air movement and lights and computers will be turned off when possible.
Students and staff will also be rotated into cooler air-conditions areas within schools where available and strenuous activities will be reduced, the letter continued.
'Closing schools during a heat warning is not an action typically taken by TDSB or other school boards across the province, as it would put parents/guardians/caregivers in the challenging position of having to find childcare with very short notice, which is not always possible,' the letter read.
If the forecast is correct, Monday's stifling heat could mark the hottest day Toronto has seen in two years, Environment Canada's David Phillips told CP24 last week.
'We're not even to the dog days of summer yet,' Phillips said.
'I look at the last 10 years, and I can maybe see two or three days that we got a temperature above 35.'