Osheaga fans prepare for 'exhausting heat' set to spike Sunday

Montreal's Osheaga Festival kicks off tonight and veteran festival attendees are recommending that people prepare for the intense heat expected to descend Sunday on much of southern Quebec.

The upcoming sticky weather won't quite reach the same temperatures that hit southern Quebec during the July heat wave, but it will still be hot enough that people should take it easy, stay hydrated and pay attention to the more vulnerable population, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Steve Boily.

Starting tonight and tomorrow, there will be a few showers around the Montreal area, but Sunday will be bright and sunny with a humidex in the 37 to 39 range.

"If you have to do anything outside, just be careful," said Boily. "Don't do too much. Don't spend too much time in this exhausting heat. Hydrate yourself, for sure."

Ideally people should stay in the shade or in air-conditioned spaces if possible. With temperatures not dropping much at night, he recommended cooling down with a shower or cold wash cloth before heading to bed.

"Early July, we had humidex values between 44 and 48," he said. "We're not going there."

Vulnerable people, he said, need to be aware. With temperatures not dropping below 20 C at night, people without air conditioning don't recover as well when they sleep, he said.

Osheaga fans prepare for the heat

Erika Morris, a veteran festival-goer, told CBC Montreal's Daybreak that it's best to be prepared ahead of time.

"Drink a lot of water," said Morris, attending this year for the fourth time. "They have water refill stations, so you want to make sure that you have a water bottle."

Brossard resident Anthony Le knows all too well the dangers of high temperatures at the Osheaga Festival.

"She lost the colour on her lips and I saw that something was wrong," Le told Daybreak, noting the concert venue was jam packed with spectators. "I told myself, 'We have to get out of the crowd.' We rushed out right away."

Le managed to get his friend out of the crowd, sit her down and hydrate her, helping her recover. Morris noted there are plenty of security officials on site to help in cases like this, getting people out of the crowds and to a safe space.

"Hydration is key to any outdoor festival," Le said. "Especially this weekend. It's going to be very, very hot."

Festival organizers are also taking measures to help concertgoers beat the heat.

They will be installing additional water fountains on site, adding shaded areas, multiplying the number of sprinklers and hoses and making water "more accessible to fans in front rows."