Most of British Columbia is under a heat warning, a smoke warning or both Wednesday, as daily high temperature records continue to fall in some communities. Environment Canada says temperatures will soar into the low to mid 30s across much of the province, with some areas reaching the high 30s. The weather will begin to cool down again on Thursday, according to the weather agency. Heat warnings expanded to Metro Vancouver late Tuesday, calling for highs in the low to mid 30s, except areas near the water where it will reach the high 20s. Farther east, a heat warning for the Okanagan Valley, Fraser Canyon, Thompson, Shuswap, Nicola, Similkameen, Boundary and West Kootenay regions says humidex values will get as high as 37 C over the next two days. Forecasters expect the mercury to hit 40 C in the Fraser Canyon Wednesday afternoon. Officials say the heat poses a risk to public health and is advising people watch for signs of heat illness and seek out cooler spaces. At the same time, smoke from wildfires burning within the province and across the border is leading to poor air quality and reduced visibility in many regions. The advisories are for the most part yellow, meaning “moderate” impact, except for in the North Peace Region, where the warning is orange, for “high” impact. “Smoke across the Skeena region is expected to thin during the day but persist in valley bottoms overnight. In southern areas, smoke is forecasted to increase as winds from the south transport smoke across the border,” Environment Canada wrote in a notice. “These winds are forecasted to shift smoke eastward through the day.” Officials are urging people in smoke-affected areas to avoid strenuous outdoor activity, drink plenty of water and stay in an indoor space with clean air. The Metro Vancouver Regional District has also issued an air quality warning for the entire region due to both smog and smoke. An advisory says all of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley have elevated levels of fine particulate matter, while the eastern portion of the region also has high ground-level ozone. It was the warmest July 21 on record in five communities on Tuesday, including in Terrace, where the temperature was the highest seen on that date in 36 years. The Cache Creek area experienced the highest record-breaking temperature at 39.1 C, surpassing its 2024 record of 37.8 C.
