Despite the much-needed cooler weather, public health officials are still on high alert Friday as the week-long heat wave that contributed to the deaths of 50 Quebecers comes to an end, Montreal Gazette reported.

The new death toll, up from 33 the day before, was confirmed by a press attaché for Lucie Charlebois, the provincial minister for public health.

A spokesperson for Santé Montréal confirmed that as of Friday morning, 28 deaths in the city may have been related to the extreme heat.

Environment Canada lifted the week-old heat warning and day-old storm watch for the Montreal area early Friday.

The forecast for Friday calls for a high of 25 C and a Humidex of 31 C. The temperature is expected to drop to 13 C Friday night.

The cumulative affect of the prolonged heat, during which Humidex levels reached up to 40 C, may still impact residents, explained Stefan Overhoff, spokesperson for Urgences-santé.

“Today we’re not expecting a decrease in the number of transports,” Overhoff said.

Through the last week, Overhoff said, the number of calls jumped by about 30 per cent, from 1,000 calls a day to anywhere between 1,200 to 1,350 interventions.

“The level alert remains relatively high, even though the level of humidity has gone down.”

Santé Montréal’s director Mylène Drouin confirmed on Twitter that the city will be continuing its door-to-door checks on vulnerable residents.

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