VICTORIA -- Vancouver Island’s balmy weekend brought record-breaking levels of heat to communities across the island, according to Environment Canada.
On Sunday, record-breaking high temperatures were reported at 10 stations on the island, ranging from Port Hardy to Courtney to Victoria.
In some cases, the temperatures broke records that had stood for more than 50 years.
In the Comox and Courtenay areas, temperatures reached 26.6 C, breaking the previous record of 25.6 C set in both areas in 1968.
Meanwhile, temperatures reached 23.6 C in the Port Hardy area Sunday, surpassing the previous record of 21.2 C set in 1968.
Further south on the island, high temperatures broke records that were set in the Greater Victoria area last year.
On Sunday, temperatures in the Greater Victoria region reached a whopping 27.8 C, a full 3 C higher than the previous record of 24.8 C set in 2019.
At the Victoria International Airport, temperatures reportedly reached 27.7 C, more than 2 C higher than the previous record of 25.3 C set in 2019.
On the Malahat, temperatures reached a high of 25.4 C, surpassing the previous record of 24.7 C set last year.
This weekend’s unseasonable heat was also felt across B.C., shattering previous records set in White Rock, Hope, Squamish and more.
In White Rock, Sunday’s heat brought temperatures of 29.1 C, more than 2 C higher than the previous record of 26.7 C set 79 years ago.
Across the province, Hope saw the highest temperatures on May 10 with a total of 30.2 degrees. The next hottest community on Sunday was Squamish, which recorded a high of 30.1 C.
With files from the Canadian Press
