Amid a sweltering heat wave, British Columbia set at least 17 daily heat records on Friday, with meteorologists warning the worst is yet to come.
The mercury hit 39 C in Pemberton, shattering a record of 36.9 for June 25 set in 1992.
Highs of 38.3 C in Lytton, 35.7 C in Hope, 35.6 in Trail and 34.1 in Victoria also set new records for the date.
More daily and possibly monthly records are expected to fall Saturday, Sunday and Monday across the province, with the latter two days forecast to be the hottest.
“We are looking at 45 degrees on Monday for a little while and that that would be a broken record for all time in B.C.,” Environment Canada Meteorologist Armel Castellan said.
“What is so incredible and unprecedented about this event is that it’s setting up the way it would in July, you know, maybe a month after the solstice — but really, the solstice was just a few days ago.”
The hottest temperature ever recorded in B.C. was 44.4 C in Lytton in 1941, and in Canada was 45 C in Yellow Grass and Midale, Sask., in July 1937, and meteorologists have not ruled out the possibility of them falling.
Heat warnings remained in effect for the vast majority of British Columbia on Saturday, as Environment Canada warned of a “dangerous and long-duration heat wave.”
The extreme weather is the result of an unusually strong ridge of high pressure over the province that has created a “heat dome,” trapping warmer air.
“Also the overnight lows are also breaking records. They are in the 20 degree range, even up to 24 degrees as we go into early next week for a place like Kamloops that is record breaking … that’s where we need to have the respite overnight to kind of recharge, rehydrate, give the body a chance to recover before going into yet another hot day,” Castellan said.
“We know, statistically speaking, that this is going to cause premature deaths that are related to the heat. It’s happened in many jurisdictions around the world.”
Health officials in B.C.’s Lower Mainland have issued an “extreme heat alert” and are opening cooling centres. No one will be turned away from the centres, even if they exceed COVID-19 capacity rules.
Fraser Health cancelled scheduled COVID-19 vaccinations at the Abbotsford Ag-Rec centre due to the heat, and said it would rebook appointments for people affected.
Environment Canada has forecast a high of 30 C for Vancouver on Saturday, of 38 C in Abbotsford, of 41 in Lytton, 40 in Kamloops and 38 in Kelowna.
People are being warned to drink plenty of water, stay indoors or in a cool place, and to check on older friends, family and neighbours.
They’re also reminded to never leave a person or animal inside a parked vehicle.
Symptoms of heat illness include dizziness/fainting; nausea/vomiting; rapid breathing and heartbeat; extreme thirst; decreased urination with unusually dark urine.