Heat wave across Western Canada forecast to last through midweek

Environment Canada says a heat wave brought in by a ridge of high pressure is expected to persist over much of British Columbia and into Alberta and Saskatchewan until about mid-week.

The weather office had issued more than 40 heat warnings in B.C. by Sunday, when more than 20 daily heat records were broken across the province. 

Ashcroft, B.C., was listed as the hottest place in Canada at 40.3 C, while Lytton set a new daily maximum of 39.9 C, beating the record set in 1953 of 38.9 C.

Environment Canada is scheduled to provide an update today on the persistent “hot weather conditions” in Western Canada.

The alerts in B.C. cover much of the lower third of the province, the northeastern part of B.C., inland sections of the central and north coasts, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, as well as east and inland Vancouver Island.

A record-breaking heat wave centred over California is radiating north and also driving heat warnings for Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. 

Environment Canada says the two Prairie provinces will experience temperatures of at least 30 C, with some parts of Alberta forecast to reach about 35 C by Wednesday.

In the U.S., an excessive heat warning was in effect Monday for portions of states including California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

A high temperature of 128 F (53.3 C) was recorded Saturday and Sunday at Death Valley National Park in eastern California, where a motorcyclist died Saturday from heat exposure and another was hospitalized, officials said.

While Environment Canada says some of the heat warnings are expected to be lifted by Tuesday, particularly along the coastline and on Vancouver Island, other regions can expect the heat to continue longer.

It says temperatures in B.C.’s southern Interior are expected to climb into the low 40s this week, before moderating on Thursday.