For B.C. schools still in session, many districts were forced to make the decision to close Monday, June 28, due to extreme heat warnings blanketing the province.
Districts in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Langley, Richmond, Delta and Mission suspended instruction.
In addition, all in-person and remote classes were cancelled at Simon Fraser University, Langara College and the University of Victoria.
Global News reached out to school districts that made the decision to close Monday and they told us they don’t have any records of having to close for heat-related reasons before.
The Abbotsford School District said in an email that it is indeed the first time they have had to close schools and district sites due to heat.
Abbotsford set a new record of 41.5 C Sunday, smashing the old record of 32.3 set in 2015.
It is expected it will be even hotter on Monday as temperatures continue to climb.
Surrey schools were no longer in session Monday, but the school district told Global News they don’t believe they have ever had to close for heat reasons.
Simon Fraser University said this is the first time ever they have had to cancel classes due to the hot weather.
Sixty historic temperature records were smashed across B.C. on Sunday as a “prolonged and dangerous” heat wave continues, according to Environment Canada.
This includes the village of Lytton, which recorded the highest temperature ever in Canada on Sunday at 46.6 C.
The previous record of 45 C was documented in Yellow Grass and in Midale, Sask., on July 5, 1937. The previous B.C. record of 44.4 C was set in Lytton in 1941.
It is expected temperatures on Tuesday will start to cool down heading into the rest of the week.
Vancouver has announced schools will be back in session Tuesday, which is the last day of instruction for the school year.