2 temperature records dating back to the 19th century were broken in B.C. Saturday

Dozens of temperature records were broken across B.C. on Saturday, including two that had stood since the 19th century.

The Fraser Valley saw temperatures soar to the high 20s, according to preliminary data from Environment and Climate Change Canada, smashing previous records in Abbotsford, Agassiz and Hope.

Abbotsford's new record of 28.5 C was nearly seven degrees hotter than the old record of 21.8 set in 1991.

Hope also shattered a record from 1991 Saturday, with the daytime high reaching 28, far above the previous record of 22.4.

Agassiz saw similar heat Saturday, but its previous high temperature record for Oct. 15 was much older. The community saw temperatures hit 23.9 in 1896, a record that stood for 126 years, until thermometers registered 28.2 on Saturday.

Records in the area have been kept since 1889.

On Vancouver Island, records more than a century old fell again in Port Alberni and Victoria Harbour.

Port Alberni saw a high of 27.6 on Saturday, eclipsing the old record of 23.3 set 115 years ago in 1907.

Victoria Harbour's record was even older. The high of 22.8 on Saturday surpassed the previous record of 20 from 1895.

B.C. has seen record-setting heat in at least some communities on the vast majority of days in October so far this year. This, after August and September were each among the warmest and driest on record in Metro Vancouver. 

The lack of rain has led to Level 5 drought conditions – the most severe on B.C.'s five-point scale – across Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast and northeastern B.C.

Unseasonably hot, dry weather has also led to the largest number of new wildfires sparked in October in at least 20 years. 

Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley are under an air quality advisory due to smoke from wildfires burning in E.C. Manning Provincial Park, near Cypress Mountain Resort in West Vancouver, and in the U.S. 

The full list of temperature records set Friday follows.

• Abbotsford area – preliminary new record of 28.5, old record of 21.8 set in 1991
• Agassiz area – preliminary new record of 28.2, old record of 23.9 set in 1896
• Bella Bella area – preliminary new record of 22.2, old record of 18.2 set in 2015
• Bella Coola area – preliminary new record of 22.8, old record of 20.6 set in 1969
• Burns Lake area – preliminary new record of 20.3, old record of 17.4 set in 1986
• Comox area – preliminary new record of 19.3, old record of 16.7 set in 1963
• Courtenay area – preliminary new record of 19.3, old record of 16.7 set in 1963
• Estevan Point area – preliminary new record of 18.1, old record of 17.5 set in 2018
• Gibsons area – preliminary new record of 23.3, old record of 20 set in 1963
• Hope area – preliminary new record of 28, old record of 22.4 set in 1991
• Mackenzie area – preliminary new record of 18.3, old record of 16.9 set in 1986
• Malahat area – preliminary new record of 23.3, old record of 20.8 set in 2002
• Pemberton area – preliminary new record of 24, old record of 21.5 set in 2002
• Pitt Meadows area – preliminary new record of 27.5, old record of 22.5 set in 1991
• Port Alberni area – preliminary new record of 27.6, old record of 23.3 set in 1907
• Powell River area – preliminary new record of 23.2, old record of 18.9 set in 1929
• Prince Rupert area – preliminary new record of 19, old record of 16.7 set in 1954
• Quesnel area – preliminary new record of 20.2, old record of 20 set in 1963
• Sechelt area – preliminary new record of 23.3, old record of 17 set in 1978
• Smithers area – preliminary new record of 19.6, old record of 18.3 set in 1961
• Squamish area – preliminary new record of 29.1, old record of 21.5 set in 2002
• Tatlayoko Lake area – preliminary new record of 22.9, old record of 20 set in 1974
• Terrace area – preliminary new record of 18.4, old record of 18.3 set in 1969
• Victoria area – preliminary new record of 25.3, old record of 19.6 set in 2015
• Victoria Harbour area – preliminary new record of 22.8, old record of 20 set in 1895
• Whistler area – preliminary new record of 22.1, old record of 20.9 set in 1991
• White Rock area – preliminary new record of 24.2, old record of 23.3 set in 1929
• Williams Lake area – preliminary new record of 20.1, old record of 20 set in 1961

Environment Canada says the temperature records it reports are based on "a selection of historical stations in each geographic area that were active during the period of record."

The data is considered preliminary because it hasn't gone through Environment Canada's quality assurance process. However, it's rare for records to be overturned when data is finalized.