Extreme cold weather warnings issued for much of Canada

OTTAWA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Tuesday issued extreme cold temperature warnings for most part of the country.

The ministry said very cold temperatures or wind chill is to create an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia, calling on people to watch for symptoms related to the cold, including shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and a change in the colour of the fingers and toes.

In western coast British Columbia province, the ministry warned that the Yoho National Park and Kootenay National Park regions could see wind chills as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius due to a cold arctic ridge of high pressure that will remain over the region for several days.

Much of the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and the entirety of Saskatchewan province are also subject to the warnings, the frigid temperatures are expected to continue through the end of the week.

It also issued warning for parts of northern Ontario province too, along with a snow squall warning for Sault Ste. Marie area.

In Quebec, the cold arctic air will continue until Wednesday and wind chills could reach minus 42 degrees Celsius in the province.

However, the Atlantic provinces were largely spared from the extreme cold warnings, it said. Enditem