It was a scorching Monday across British Columbia as the sun and hot temperatures seared the province.
No fewer than 25 communities set daily heat records for July 8, with another two tying their previous highs.
Leading the record-setting day was Lytton, where the mercury reached 42.4 C, obliterating the town’s old mark of 39.4 C, which was set in 1952.
It was also the nation’s hot spot on Monday.
Two other communities also reached the 40-degree mark — Lillooet, at 40.9 C, and Cache Creek, at 40.7 C — with two more on the cusp — Osoyoos at 39.7 C and Pemberton at 39.1 C.
Blue River
- New record: 35.5 C
- Old record: 34.5 C, set in 2015
Burns Lake
- New record: 32.6 C
- Old record: 31.8 C, set in 2010
Cache Creek
- New record: 40.7 C
- Old record: 40.3 C, set in 2015
Campbell River
- New record: 33.4 C
- Old record: 33.0 C, set in 2010
Castlegar
- New record: 38.3 C
- Old record: 37.4 C, set in 1985
Cranbrook
- Tied record of 35.5 C, set in 2017
Chetwynd
- New record: 32.4 C
- Old record: 32.3 C, set in 2010
Dawson Creek
- New record: 30.9 C
- Old record: 30.8 C, set in 2015
Kamloops
- New record: 38.2 C
- Old record: 38.0 C, set in 2015
Kelowna
- New record: 37.8 C
- Old record: 36.5 C, set in 2015
Lillooet
- New record: 40.9 C
- Old record: 39.6 C, set in 2015
Lytton
- New record: 42.4 C
- Old record: 39.4 C, set in 1952
Mackenzie
- New record: 31.9 C
- Old record: 31.7 C, set in 2015
Malahat
- New record: 32.3 C
- Old record: 30.4 C, set in 2010
Merritt
- New record: 37.9 C
- Old record: 36.7 C, set in 2015
Nelson
- New record: 36.4 C
- Old record: 35.7 C, set in 2017
Osoyoos
- New record: 39.7 C
- Old record: 38.5 C, set in 2015
Pemberton
- New record: 39.1 C
- Old record: 35.2 C, set in 2014
Princeton
- New record: 37.6 C
- Old record: 36.7 C, set in 1968
Smithers
- New record: 33.0 C
- Old record: 31.9 C, set in 2023
Summerland
- Tied record of 35.7 C, set in 2015
Tatlayoko Lake
- New record: 35.0 C
- Old record: 31.8 C, set in 2010
Trail
- New record: 38.5 C
- Old record: 36.3 C, set in 2017
Terrace
- New record: 33.1 C
- Old record: 32.6 C, set in 2010
Vernon
- New record: 37.5 C
- Old record: 36.2 C, set in 2015
Whistler
- New record: 35.3 C
- Old record: 33.5 C, set in 2010
Yoho National Park
- New record: 30.4 C
- Old record: 29.4 C, set in 1964
More daily records are expected to tumble Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, as the major upper ridge of high pressure responsible for the heat remains parked over B.C.
However, the ridge is expected to start breaking down on Thursday, although not by much. For the Southern Interior, temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-30s until next Thursday.
“As the ridge of high pressure weakens slightly tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, high temps will come down slightly each day in the Interior but will stay up as warm there,” Global News chief meteorologist Mark Madryga said.
“Same for the South Coast but also a little more low-level marine air will bring temps down a touch more – still warm days.”
British Columbia wasn’t the only province to experience record-setting temperatures: 14 daily records were set in Alberta.
The town of Wainwright, which is southeast of Edmonton, was the province’s hot spot at 32.7 C.