Two new daily temperature records were set on Vancouver Island on Tuesday as a heat wave grips much of the province.
Nanaimo had the hottest Aug. 26 on record with a high of 31.2 C, just above the previous record of 31.0 C set in 2016.
Qualicum Beach also nudged past its previous record of 28.6 C, set in 2016, with a temperature of 28.8 C.
Special weather statements related to heat remain in place for large portions of Vancouver Island.
Environment Canada renewed the advisory for the east and inland Island on Wednesday morning, citing a long duration of above-seasonal temperatures.
It said the warmer-than-usual temperatures will likely remain until Thursday, when cloud cover is expected. Cooler temperatures overnight should give some relief.
Temperatures are forecast to hit 26 C in Campbell River, 34 C in Port Alberni, 27C in Nanaimo and 34 C at Lake Cowichan on Wednesday.
A heat warning is also in effect for inland sections of the north and central coasts, including Terrace and Kitimat, the Fraser Canyon, South Thompson and South Okanagan. Temperatures in the Interior are forecast to reach as high as 39 C.
More heat records set across B.C.
Daily maximum temperature records have been tumbling across B.C. for the last several days, including in Lytton, which on Tuesday matched the previous day's high of 41.3 C, marking the hottest temperature recorded across Canada so far this year.
Another 28 communities set daily records for Aug. 26.
In Vernon, the mercury hit 37.2 C, eclipsing the previous high of 32.8 C set in 1916.
It was 31 C in the northern community of Fort Nelson, where the previous record of 30 C was set in 1950.
In Metro Vancouver, the regional district says the hot, sunny conditions have combined with local emissions to produce smog, prompting an air-quality warning.
The warning about elevated levels of ground-level ozone spans central and eastern parts of the Fraser Valley. It follows an earlier smoke and smoke warning issued by the district last weekend.
Communities that broke daily records also include Chetwynd, Dawson, Fort St. John, Clearwater, Merritt, Quesnel, Sparwood and Gibsons.
Heat expected to ease Friday
Matt Loney, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the heat is expected to ease on Friday as cooler marine air arrives along the coast and trickles into the Interior, though the first week of September is expected to be hotter than normal.
Loney said the ridge of high pressure that has brought late-season heat to B.C. may “cut off” the cooler system expected to move over the province.
“It’s going to be kind of a standoff,” he said
“The computer models are suggesting that the upper ridge might win out and actually be able to stall the upper low and even send it back retrograding westward.”
Loney says that means parts of B.C. may see a warmer first week of September with less rain than normal, but the forecast becomes less clear after that.
Overall, temperatures are declining as fall approaches, he said.
“Generally speaking, they’re on their downward trend. But as we’ve seen, you can still hit 40 degrees this late in the year.”
Lytton has hit 41 C as late as Aug. 30 in the past, Loney adds.
In 2021, Lytton set the record for Canada’s hottest temperature of 49.6 C. The next day, a wildfire destroyed most of the village.
Four wildfires burning on Vancouver Island
The number of wildfires across B.C. has been holding steady at about 70, but B.C. Wildfire Service has warned that the hot, dry conditions would raise the fire risk.
The service’s map showed four fires burning on Vancouver Island as of Wednesday morning.
The Manson Creek fire near Nanaimo was being held at 8.6 hectares after being discovered on Sunday.
The Mount Underwood fire, which led to a series of evacuations and knocked out power to the Bamfield area for almost two weeks, was also being held.
Two other fires — Wesley Ridge east of Port Alberni and Nahmint Mountain, to the city’s west — are considered under control.
What to do when it's hot out
Environment Canada offers the following advice for dealing with the heat:
- Reschedule outdoor activities to the morning or evening hours when temperatures are cooler
- Watch for the effects of heat illness: heavy sweating, rash, cramps, fainting, high body temperature and the worsening of some health conditions.
- Never leave susceptible people, particularly children, or pets inside a parked vehicle.
- If you are in an overheated area, seek a cool place such as a tree-shaded area, splash pad, misting station, or air-conditioned spot like a public building.
