Warm weather over the weekend in British Columbia shattered daily temperature records in more than 24 locations, with many surpassing 30 degrees Celsius. Pemberton reached a high of 32 degrees Celsius on Sunday, breaking a record that stood for almost 70 years. Other areas like Osoyoos, Lillooet, and Cache Creek in the B.C. Interior also experienced temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. Squamish in the Sea-to-Sky region almost hit the mark with a daily peak of 29.9 degrees Celsius.
In Victoria, the harbourfront recorded nearly 27 degrees Celsius, breaking a century-old record set in 1898. Bella Bella saw temperatures reaching 26.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, surpassing the previous record set on the same day.
According to Environment Canada meteorologist Bobby Sekhon, a high-pressure ridge from the Pacific Ocean led to the exceptional temperatures across southwestern B.C., including Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Sekhon mentioned that temperatures were 5 to 10 degrees above normal, with places like Abbotsford forecasted to be 13 degrees above normal.
The weather is expected to gradually cool down over the next few days, approaching normal levels by Friday before warming up again over the weekend. The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a high streamflow advisory for areas of the northern Interior due to the high temperatures accelerating snowmelt rates. The B.C. Wildfire Service cautioned about the increased likelihood of new wildfires starting as a result of the above seasonal temperatures. As of late Monday afternoon, there were nearly 30 active wildfires in the province, with around 10 starting within the past 24 hours.