Current Conditions - Kelowna, BC

Issued by Environment Canada, the special weather statements stretch from mid-Vancouver Island through to the Alberta border.

A strengthening ridge of high pressure over B.C.’s southern interior could lead to temperatures in the mid- to high- 30s.

A combination of intense heat and drought conditions is causing wildfires in Western Canada to generate their own weather systems, experts say.

30-degree heat sticks around the Okanagan weather forecast with sunshine and dry conditions for the rest of July and into the beginning of August.

A combination of drought, heat and drier fuels is causing larger areas to be burned in British Columbia, says an expert.

After some brief relief from sizzling heat, temperatures return to the 30s in the Okanagan weather forecast heading into the weekend.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced Tuesday that 350 troops from Edmonton would be sent to help the BC Wildfire Service, which has been stretched to its limits.

Hundreds of wildfires are raging across Canada, forcing mass evacuations. A look at how this year’s season compares with past years.  

The comments come as wildfires are currently raging out of control, forcing residents out of their homes in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Wildfire smoke is a constantly-changing mixture of particles and gases which includes many chemicals that can be harmful to your health.

A lengthy rainfall and strong winds could dissipate the wildfires and smoky air gripping parts of Western Canada but that’s not in the forecast this week, says one climatologist.

Sunshine, smoke and hot weather stick around in the Okanagan weather forecast through the work week and into the weekend ahead across the region.

Wildfire experts say British Columbia must spark far more prescribed burns, akin to how Indigenous communities have managed forests, to mitigate the risk of huge blazes.

A sweltering heat wave in much of Western Canada in the last week of June had cascading effects on sea life, experts say.