June 30th update… here was the weather today. Scary stuff…

Hello everyone,

We are close to the end of June, and so far the weather in Japan has not been too hot! I know that it will be hot soon, but I’ve been happy to enjoy a cool month. Unfortunately, not everywhere has had the same luck.

Every Sunday I call my mother and grandmother in Canada. We talk about small things, like the our jobs and what happened in our families during the week. But, last Sunday when I called, we only talked about the weather.

Right now in Western Canada there is a “heat dome”. This is when hot weather is trapped in one place and pushes down, making very hot weather. Yesterday, Canada recorded the hottest temperature – ever – … 46.1! See that pink dot? That is where my mother and father live.

The hot weather will continue for another few days. Communities are setting up “cooling stations” in libraries and community centers because most houses in this area do not have air conditioning. In fact, I never lived in a house with air conditioning until I moved to Japan at 25 years old!

I am worried about my grandmother, who turns 93 years old this week. I am also worried about many animals, such as my parents’ horses, which are not used to this weather. Hopefully everything turns out ok. There is still July and August to come…

Allen.