Most of B.C. has been in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave, smashing temperature records and making the small community of Lytton the hottest place ever recorded in Canada for three days in a row.
Canada’s Ministry of Forests said the high temperatures triggered a significant amount of snowmelt in the mountains, which led to widespread flooding.
B.C. resident Trevor Adams shared a video to his Facebook page showing water rushing along the Squamish Valley Road, with at least one car submerged.
Adams said he was returning from an overnight camp at nearby Blanca Peak on June 26 when he noticed the water levels had risen dramatically.
“All the years I’ve been in the valley, this was one of the fastest snow melts I’ve seen,” Adams told Storyful.
The Ministry of Forests issued a flood watch on June 26 for areas surrounding the Lillooet River.
As of June 29, that flood watch remains in place for the Lillooet River near Pemberton and Pemberton Creek near Pemberton.
The River Forecast Centre says the Lillooet River reached the highest flows at 4:30 a.m. Monday but flooding remains a concern in the region.
The centre says it’s unlikely for flows to reach higher than the recent peaks unless a heavy rainfall event occurs in the next 10 days.