A person sits on the beach under a colourful umbrella as sail boats pass in Vancouver, B.C., Sunday, July 7, 2024. Heat warnings have been put in place for the Metro Vancouver area for elevated temperatures. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
VANCOUVER – Nearly two dozen daily temperature records have fallen as a heat wave continues in British Columbia, pushing the mercury over 40 C in some areas.
A summary from Environment Canada shows 22 daily high temperature records fell across the province on Sunday, including one that had stood for almost 120 years.
The mercury hit 38.3 C in the Kamloops area breaking the previous record of 35.6 for July 7 set in 1906.
Cache Creek, B.C., was a hot spot on Sunday, with a daily high of 40.3 C, breaking the record of 36.9 set in 2015.
New daily records have also been set in the northeastern B.C. community of Fort Nelson, as well as Williams Lake in central B.C., Smithers in the northwest, Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast.
Temperatures today are forecast to hit 41C in the Interior village of Lytton, 27 C at Vancouver’s airport and 39 C in Kamloops.
Environment Canada says the heat wave brought in by a ridge of high pressure is expected to persist until about mid-week.
The weather office had issued more than 40 heat warnings in B.C. by Sunday.
It says the high temperatures pose a “moderate risk” to public health, and the risks are greater for seniors, people who live alone, and those with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, respiratory illness, or mental health challenges.
Officials with Environment Canada are scheduled to provide an update later today on persisting “hot weather conditions” in Western Canada.
The alerts in B.C. cover much of the lower third of the province as well as parts of the northeast, inland sections of the central and north coasts, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and parts of Vancouver Island.
While the weather office says some of the heat warnings are expected to be lifted by Tuesday, particularly along the coastline and on east and inland Vancouver Island, other regions can expect the high temperatures to continue.
It says temperatures in the southern Interior are expected to climb into the low 40s this week, before moderating on Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2024.
