Another 16 hot weather records were broken in communities across B.C. on Sunday, including in Victoria and Whistler.
Temperatures in the provincial capital reached 21.7 C, narrowly beating the previous Oct. 9 record of 21.5 set back in 1979. Whistler saw highs of 23.2, breaking the record of 22.7 set in 1991.
Some of the records that were toppled over the Thanksgiving weekend were less than a decade old, but others date back to the first half of the 20th century. Vernon recorded a high of 22.6 C, breaking the previous Oct. 9 record of 22.2 set in 1906 – just six years after records were first collected in the area.
The full list of records broken Sunday includes, in alphabetical order:
- Cache Creek area – new record of 25, old record of 22.9 set in 2015
- Clinton area – new record of 21.9, old record of 19.1 set in 2012
- Comox area – new record of 21.4, old record of 20 set in 1936
- Courtenay area – new record of 21.4, old record of 20 set in 1936
- Dease Lake area – new record of 18.9, old record of 15.1 set in 2012
- Gibsons area – new record of 21.3, old record of 20.2 set in 2015
- Hope are – new record of 26.9, old record of 25 set in 1951
- Malahat area – new record of 24.1, old record of 21.5 set in 1991
- Nakusp area – new record of 19.6, old record of 18.7 set in 1991
- Puntzi Mountain area – new record of 24.2, previous record of 23.3 set in 1991
- Sandspit area – new record of 24.2, old record of 23.3 set in 2015
- Sechelt area – new record of 21.3, old record of 20.5 set in 1996
- Squamish area – new record of 26.2, old record of 25 set in 1988
- Vernon area – new record of 22.6, old record of 22.2 set in 1906
- Victoria area – new record of 21.7, old record of 21.5 set in 1979
- Whistler area – new record of 23.2, old record of 22.7 set in 1991
Temperature records have been falling in communities across the province for weeks, during a period of unseasonably warm and dry weather that has created extreme wildfire risk and severe drought conditions in some areas.
There were 61 wildfires sparked over the last week, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service, including one that broke out east of Grand Forks Sunday and could be seen by travellers on Highway 3.
While cooler temperatures are forecast for Monday, there are also periods of significant wind expected in many areas. Gusts of up to 60 km/h could "toss loose objects and cause drought-weakened tree branches to break," potentially causing injuries, property damage and power outages, according to a special weather statement from Environment Canada.
