Daily heat records tumble again in B.C., as drought conditions worsen
Unseasonable warmth over much of British Columbia is showing no sign of easing, with another day of temperature records in the books and many regions reporting no significant rain since early July.
Environment Canada says 11 daily maximum temperature records were set Wednesday across parts of Vancouver Island, the central coast, southern Interior and southeastern B.C.
At 26.9 C, the Pemberton area broke a record that has stood since 1908.
Port Alberni and Vernon, with nearly identical temperatures just above 25 C, surpassed records that have stood for 122 years.
Normal temperatures for early October usually range from 14 C to 16 C in those cities.
The Ministry of Forests has ranked Vancouver Island, the inner south coast and northeastern B.C. at the second-most severe level of drought on a five-point rating scale.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District has also opened an emergency operations centre as it confronts severe drought in a key water system.
The district is using a siphon system to pull additional water from Chapman Lake to feed the critically low Chapman water system, which supplies drinking water to roughly 90 per cent of Sunshine Coast residents.
“The last day of significant rainfall on the Sunshine Coast was over 80 days ago on July 6, and Environment Canada has informed us not to expect any significant rainfall for at least the next two weeks,” the district's chief administration officer Dean McKinley said in a statement posted last week.
The district was expected to install new siphons this week at Edwards Lake, the district's secondary reservoir, McKinley said.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District has imposed its most stringent water restrictions and is backing those with increased enforcement and $500 fines for anyone using drinking water for outdoor use.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.