B.C. weather: Temperature records set across province Saturday

Sixteen B.C. communities saw their hottest Oct. 8 on record Saturday, continuing the trend of unseasonably warm and dry weather that has marked fall in the province so far this year.

The records set Saturday mean seven of the eight full days that have passed so far this month set high-temperature records somewhere in B.C.

The oldest record to fall Saturday was in Powell River, where the high of 21.1 C broke the previous record of 19.4 set 94 years ago in 1928.

Elsewhere, Abbotsford, Pitt Meadows and Comox each saw their hottest Oct. 8 on record, eclipsing previous highs set in 1945.

While temperatures in much of the province are expected to cool off on Monday, according to the BC Wildfire Service, the weather is also forecast to be windy and dry.

"Sustained warm and dry weather will extend British Columbia’s wildfire season well into the fall," reads a statement from the Ministry of Forests issued ahead of the Thanksgiving long weekend.

"Drought conditions can be attributed to warmer seasonal temperatures and below normal rainfall."

Some parts of the province were rated at Level 5 for drought conditions as of Friday morning, which means adverse impacts are "almost certain." Those regions include the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and West Vancouver Island. Seven other regions are at Level 4, meaning adverse impacts are "likely." 

The full list of temperature records set Saturday is as follows.

• Abbotsford area – new record of 25.9, old record of 25 set in 1945
• Cache Creek area – new record of 26.8, old record of 24.6 set in 2012
• Clinton area – new record of 22.7, old record of 19.1 set in 2014
• Comox area – new record of 22.2, old record of 20 set in 1945
• Hope area – new record of 27.7, old record of 26.1 set in 1951
• Lytton area – new record of 26.2, old record of 25.6 set in 1952
• Malahat area – new record of 23.3, old record of 20.6 set in 2012
• Pemberton area – new record of 26.7, old record of 23.2 set in 2014
• Pitt Meadows area – new record of 25.5, old record of 24.4 set in 1945
• Powell River area – new record of 21.1, old record of 19.4 set in 1928
• Puntzi Mountain area – tied record of 22.8 set in 1971
• Revelstoke area – new record of 21.3, old record of 20.1 set in 2014
• Sechelt area – new record of 21.2, old record of 20.7 set in 2012
• Squamish area – new record of 26.6, old record of 23.5 set in 1987
• Tatlayoko Lake area – new record of 24.2, old record of 23.9 set in 1943
• Whistler area – new record of 23.5, old record of 22.9 set in 2012

Environment and Climate Change Canada says temperature records are "derived from a selection of historical stations in each geographic area that were active during the period of record."

While the new records are considered preliminary, it is rare for them to change when data is finalized. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Lisa Steacy