Warm temperatures swept across British Columbia, breaking daily temperature records in 24 locations over the weekend. Several areas registered temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. Pemberton hit 32 degrees Celsius on Sunday, surpassing a record set nearly 70 years ago. Other parts of the BC Interior, including Osoyoos, Lillooet, and Cache Creek, also experienced temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. Squamish in the Sea-to-Sky region, near Metro Vancouver, recorded a high of 29.9 degrees Celsius. Victoria’s harbourfront reached almost 27 degrees Celsius, breaking a record set over a century ago in 1898. Bella Bella saw temperatures soar to 26.1 degrees Celsius, shattering a previous record of 18 degrees Celsius set on the same day.
Meteorologist Bobby Sekhon from Environment Canada attributed the high temperatures to a ridge of high pressure from the Pacific Ocean affecting southwestern BC, including Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Sekhon described the temperatures as “exceptional” for early May, with forecasts predicting temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above normal. Abbotsford in the Fraser Valley was projected to be 13 degrees above the usual temperature. Despite this, Sekhon mentioned that the weather would gradually cool down in the following days, returning closer to normal by Friday before warming up again over the weekend.
The BC River Forecast Centre issued a high streamflow advisory for northern Interior regions on Monday due to the high temperatures accelerating snowmelt rates, expected to remain elevated through mid-week. The BC Wildfire Service warned of above-seasonal temperatures increasing the risk of new wildfires. Currently, there are nearly 30 active wildfires in BC, with approximately 10 starting within the last 24 hours.
