Parts of B.C. are bracing for what could be historic heat for this time of year.
Global BC meteorologist Kristi Gordon said temperatures between 35 and 38 C are possible in the Thompson-Nicola region over the weekend and into early next week.
Gordon said the temperatures will break former daily record highs.
“The peak, if this heat is expected, will be from Friday through Tuesday for areas in the Interior,” Gordon added.
The South Coast will experience temperatures as high as 30 to 35 C away from the water from Friday through Monday, she added.
However, the expected hot conditions will not approach those reached during the Heat Dome of late June 2021, according to Environment Canada.
The weather office has issued a special weather statement for all of Northern B.C. and the Interior region, east, and inland Vancouver Island, greater Victoria, the Central Coast, Sunshine Coast, Whistler and Howe Sound, Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Southern Gulf Islands and the North Coast.
The last times B.C. experienced any major heat waves in May was in 1897, 1936, 1983 and 2005.
Gordon said the 1983 heat wave was the strongest, breaking monthly records in many parts of the province.
For example, Gordon said Boston Bar hit 40.5 C.
However, that heat wave took place closer to the end of May and temperatures that high are not common in early to mid-May.
The provincial government is on high alert for both flooding and wildfire risks as these temperatures heat up.
“Snow will melt very rapidly in this kind of heat and the fine fuels will dry rapidly around the province that aren’t covered in snow,” Gordon said.
There are 43 active wildfires burning in the province and three of them, all in the Prince George Fire Centre, are considered wildfires of note, meaning they are highly visible or pose a threat to communities.
An evacuation order and alert are in place for the Boundary Lake fire, burning east of Fort St. John, on the Alberta border.
There is also an evacuation order and alert in place for the Red Creek fire, burning near Fort St. John.
Other communities in the province are concerned about flooding as snow melts in the high temperatures.
Just as flood conditions appeared to be improving in the hard-hit community of Cache Creek, officials issued a new evacuation order Tuesday night.
About 300 people have been told to leave immediately due to rising floodwaters from the Bonaparte River.
The evacuation order area includes the Sage and Sands mobile home park off the Trans-Canada Highway, as well as more than 20 homes on Old Cariboo Road, Nugget Road and Collins Road — all near the river.
— with files from Simon Little