(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)

Environment Canada continues its heat warning for the Thompson and Okanagan most of this week with highs expected to reach 39 Celsius in some areas.

Warnings stretch from Vancouver Island, where highs could reach 34 C, through the Okanagan to Grand Forks and north to 100 Mile House.

A special weather statement is in effect for the West Kootenays, even though highs of 39 C are expected in Trail and Castlegar. Overnight lows are forecast to be cooler there so a warning has not been issued.

Creston is subject to a heat warning but Cranbrook is not.

To the north, special weather statements have been issued for Williams Lake and Quesnel but not for Prince George where highs peak at 30 C on Wednesday.

Further north, in the Peace River area where the massive Donnie Creek Wildfire continues to burn out of control after consuming more that 580,000 ha, temperatures are only expected to reach the low 20s C so, no warnings or alerts.

Closer to home, Lytton – which is typically Canada’s hot spot – is forecast to reach 39 C today, Aug. 14, through Wednesday before dropping to 36 C on Thursday.

Kamloops residents can expect highs of 37 C today and tomorrow, dropping to 34 C by Thursday while the Okanagan shows highs of 35-36 C through Thursday.

Overnight lows are forecast to be 19-20 C in Kamloops, 18-19 C in the Okanagan.

Highs of 35 C or more and overnights lows of 18 C or more in the Thompson-Okanagan trigger heat warnings. In the Southwest of the province, highs of 29 C and lows of 16 C bring heat warnings.

“A robust high-pressure ridge across the Southern Interior is expected to persist through Thursday,” Environment Canada’s heat warning says. “During this period, daytime temperatures significantly above the seasonal norms will coincide with elevated overnight temperatures, providing minimal respite from the heat.

“By Friday, temperatures are forecasted to revert to more typical seasonal levels.”

That means temperatures in the Thompson-Okanagan will only reach the mid to high-20s C through the weekend, with overnight lows of 12-14 C.

“Extreme heat affects everyone,” the warning says. “The risks are greater for young children, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic illnesses and people working or exercising outdoors.

“Watch for the effects of heat illness: swelling, rash, cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and the worsening of some health conditions.”

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