Families enjoy the summer temperatures at Riverside Park during a record-breaking heat wave this week.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
May 07, 2013 - 10:31 AM
At 31.9 C, Kamloops was one of fifteen locations across the province to set record high temperatures Monday, and the heat is going to last through the week according to Environment Canada spokesperson Doug Lundquist.
Records show Kamloops beat the 1998 record by 1.6 degrees and by the end of the week we could be looking at breaking more records, Lundquist says. Today's record of 30.6 C, set in 1957, will likely stand thanks to a cold front though.
“A weak cold front will keep temperatures down a little today. We'll probably just touch 29,” Lundquist says. “The ridge builds back up for Thursday and Friday again.”
Record highs at the end of the week are around 32 C, he notes, and “there is a chance we may do it (break records) again.”
The record-breaking day also saw Lytton and Lillooet reach 33.1 and 32.6 C while the biggest record breaker was Port Alberni with a 3.6 degree jump to 31.6 C. Bella Coola broke the oldest record, set in 1902, with a high of 27.1 C yesterday.
Normal highs at this time of year are 21 C in Kamloops and the forecast currently calls for highs of 28-32 C through Sunday before tapering off early next week to the low to mid-20s.
Lundquist notes it is important that people stay hydrated, especially if they will be out in the sun, during extreme heat. He adds the heat can also lead to environmental hazards such as fire and flooding as dry tinder becomes extremely flammable and snow packs melt rapidly.
To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call (250) 819-3723.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013