Metro Vancouver sees hottest August on record, parts of B.C. break more temperature records

A dozen more temperature records were broken in B.C. Thursday, bringing the number of records that fell during this week's late-summer heat wave to 35.

Preliminary data from Environment Canada showed 12 areas set new records for high temperatures on Sept. 1. One region tied its previous record.

In the Clinton area, heat records were shattered three days in a row this week. The 1988 record for Sept. 1, which was previously 29 C, broke when it got to 29.3 C on Thursday.

In Kamloops, a record that was more than a century old fell. In 1909, it got as hot as 33.9 C on Sept. 1. But this week, it hit 35.1 C.

Other high temperature records that were broken or tied, according to Environment Canada's preliminary data, include:

• Blue River area – new record of 29.8 C, old record of 28.9 C set in 1946.
• Cache Creek area – new record of 36.3 C, old record of 33.6 C set in 2017.
• Cranbrook area – new record of 33.9 C, old record of 33.3 C set in 1938.
• Lillooet area – new record of 35.5 C, old record of 35 C set in 1934.
• Lytton area – new record of 36.6 C, old record of 35.6 C set in 1928.
• Nelson area – new record of 35.8 C, old record of 33.9 C set in 1949.
• Puntzi Mountain area – new record of 30 C, old record of 27.9 C set in 2006.
• Sparwood area – new record of 31.4 C, old record of 30.3 C set in 1998.
• Trail area – new record of 36.6 C, old record of 35 C set in 1987.
• Vernon area – tied 2009 record of 34 C.
• Williams Lake area – new record of 27.6 C, old record of 27.5 C set in 1988.

HOTTEST AUGUST EVER

The Sept. 1 records came after the Lower Mainland saw its hottest August ever.

"From Vancouver all the way into Abbotsford, we experienced our hottest August on record and it was around two to three degrees warmer than our average," said Derek Lee, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

"The precipitation amounts were quite low, so generally it's anywhere between 15 to 20 per cent for some of our coastal communities. Meaning that they only received 15 to 20 per cent of the total amount that we would usually expect in August."

A few heat warnings remained Friday, as some regions in the southeastern part of B.C. are expected to see high temperatures Friday. Parts of Vancouver Island, the Howe Sound, Fraser Canyon and Sunshine Coast were all under heat advisories.

"A ridge of high pressure will bring one final day of heat today," Environment Canada's warning said.

"A cooler, more moist air mass moves into B.C. over the weekend bringing the return of seasonal temperatures and rain showers."

In Vancouver, temperatures are expected to cool over the Labour Day long weekend. Friday is predicted to be the hottest with highs of 26 C. Over the weekend it's not expected to get warmer than 23 C and next week it's predicted to be even cooler.