´óÏó´«Ã½

Parts of Canada are experiencing a heatwave with temperatures reaching a record 49.6C.

It's happening in the area of British Columbia which is on the west coast of the country. North-west USA, which is just below this part of Canada, is also having record temperatures.

Before the heatwave - that's when temperatures are higher than normal day after day - the heat in Canada had never passed 45C.

Many homes in British Columbia don't have air conditioning as temperatures are usually a lot lower even during these summer months.

A lot of people have been struggling to cope with the rise in temperatures and have become ill because of it. Some elderly people or those with health problems have also died because of the heat.

Officials are trying to help locals to stay cool, giving them advice on how to look after themselves and their pets during the hot weather and setting up places where they can cool down.

Some community centres and public libraries have been turned into cooling centres because they have air conditioning in them. Locals can go to them if they're too hot at home or when they're out and about and struggling in the heat.

There are also pop-up misting stations in some areas where people can get sprayed with water to cool them down. People with dogs can also take them to some parks which have ponds where the dogs can take a dip.

The heat over western parts of Canada and the US has been caused by hot air remaining static across this whole area. Temperatures have been getting a little lower in coastal areas but not for places further inland.

The village of Lytton, about 150 miles away from the city of Vancouver, is the place where all of Canada's record highs temperatures have been recorded in the last few days.

One Vancouver resident said that hotels seemed to be sold out, as people went there for air-conditioning, adding: "I've never seen anything like this. I hope it never becomes like this ever again."