Vancouver temperature record among 14 broken across B.C. amid brief heat wave

More than a dozen temperature records were broken in B.C. Thursday, just before the southern part of the province moves into a slight cooling off period for the weekend.

Much of southern B.C. and the north coast remained under a heat warning Friday morning, though forecasters said temperatures would start to moderate throughout the day.

Thursday saw especially warm temperatures, with 14 places setting new records for heat, according to preliminary data from Environment Canada. Most of the records broken were decades old, including Vancouver's. That city set a new record for Aug. 18 of 27.6 C, surpassing 1965's temperature of 27.2

Meanwhile, Pitt Meadows' temperature barely beat its previous record that was more than a century old. In 1908, the area recorded 33.9 C, but on Thursday it hit 34.

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

Clearwater area – new record of 36.4, old record of 35 set in 1967

Clinton area – new record of 32.9, old record of 32.4 set in 2012

Comox area – new record of 31.6, old record of 30.6 set in 1965

Mackenzie area – new record of 31.6, old record of 31 set in 2012

Merritt area – new record of 34.5, old record of 34 set in 1981

Muncho Lake area – new record of 27.2, old record of 27 set in 1981

Nakusp area – new record of 33.6, old record of 33.5 set in 2003

Sechelt area – new record of 32.8, old record of 28 set in 2016

Trail area – new record of 38.6, old record of 38.3 set in 1967

West Vancouver area – new record of 31.7, old record of 29 set in 1981

Whistler area – new record of 36.6, old record of 34.7 set in 2012

Yoho Park area – new record of 32.5, old record of 31.7 set in 1923

On Wednesday, six other heat records were broken, meaning at least 20 temperature records fell in the province this week. 

"For the Lower Mainland, this is our third hot spell of the year and we've seen the heat warning criteria triggered," Bobby Sekhon, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, told CTV News Vancouver.

One of those heat waves led to 16 suspected heat-related deaths. 

While temperatures in Metro Vancouver are expected to be a little cooler in the coming days – with Environment Canada predicting it won't get above 25 C – it could get warmer again later next week.

"We will see a gradual rise in temperatures Thursday, Friday. That's where we're going to likely see our peak in temperatures next week," Sekhon said.

"Whether those temperatures are high enough to get the heat warning criteria remains to be seen, but certainly something we're going to be looking at."

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Regan Hasegawa