A whopping 26 weather records were broken across British Columbia on Friday as May continued its run of high temperatures.
In Metro Vancouver, Pitt Meadows had its hottest May 10 day since 1931, reaching a high of 29.3C.
Meanwhile, in the Fraser Valley, Abbottsford cracked 27.7C, breaking its old record of 25.3C set in 1993.
While most records were broken on the South Coast of B.C., Lytton was the hot spot for Friday – hitting 33.2C. The village hadn’t reached a temperature that high on May 10 since 1949.
Pemberton, Squamish, and Whistler also all hit new heat records. Pemberton was not far off Lytton, reaching 32.8C and beating its May 10 record of 30.0C in 1949.
Environment Canada meteorologist Chris Emond told the Courier he expected “more records” would be broken on Saturday with temperatures expected to reach 21C in Vancouver and 28C inland.
He said it would be the last of the hot days before temperatures began to cool down next week.
Emond explained the streak of warm weather was due to a ridge of high pressure that built over B.C. slowly.
“As it built the temperatures starting rising. It was a gradual increase over three days,” Emond said.
“In Vancouver we’re probably going to be as hot or nearly as hot as yesterday for one last day and then tomorrow we will see a significant cooling as that marine air pushes into the inner waters.
“Over the interior it will be very hot today and then a gradual cooling will begin.”
He said the ridge was now starting to push off to the east and temperatures had already begun to cool down along the west side of Vancouver Island, with Tofino and Victoria expected to be much cooler today.
Emond said it was usual for B.C. to experience its first period of “nice, warm temperatures in May.”
Mother’s Day is expected to still be a lovely sunny day with highs of 18C in Vancouver.
However, rain is expected by Tuesday.
“As we move into the coming work week, we’re going to see a return to a more moderate pattern – an upper trough, cooler temperatures and an increasing chance of seeing rain during the week,” Emond said.
Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, Vancouverites.
Heat records broken in B.C.
Abbotsford
New record 27.7
Old record 25.3 set in 1993
Records began in 1944
Agassiz
New record 28.9
Old record 27.8 set in 1924
Records began in 1889
Bella Bella
New record 24.5
Old record 19.5 set in 1980
Records began in 1977
Bella Coola
New record 28.3
Old record 25.6 set in 1946
Records began in 1895
Burns Lake
New record 26.1
Old record 25.3 set in 2013
Records began in 1949
Esquimalt
New record 24.8
Old record 23.9 set in 1931
Records began in 1874
Gibsons
New record 25.7
Old record 22.7 set in 2013
Records began in 1949
Gonzales Point
New record 24.8
Old record 23.9 set in 1931
Records began in 1874
Hope
New record 28.4
Old record 28.3 set in 1993
Records began in 1936
Lillooet
New record 32.3
Old record 31.0 set in 2013
Records began in 1881
Lytton
New record 33.2
Old record 32.2 set in 1949
Records began in 1921
Malahat
New record 23.9
Old record 21.6 set in 2016
Records began in 1986
Nanaimo
New record 28.0
Old record 25.6 set in 1968
Records began in 1892
Pemberton
New record 32.8
Old record 30.0 set in 1949
Records began in 1908
Pitt Meadows
New record 29.3
Old record 26.7 set in 1931
Records began in 1874
Sechelt
New record 25.7
Old record 22.7 set in 2013
Records began in 1956
Smithers
New record 26.4
Old record 24.4 set in 1975
Records began in 1938
Squamish
New record 28.0
Old record 25.0 set in 1997
Records began in 1960
Stewart
New record 25.3
Old record 23.7 set in 2005
Records began in 1910
Tatlayoko Lake
New record 26.4
Old record 24.9 set in 2013
Records began in 1930
Terrace
New record 28.0
Old record 26.1 set in 1924
Records began in 1912
Tofino
New record 23.5
Old record 21.7 set in 1936
Records began in 1896
Vanderhoof
New record 27.5
Old record 26.5 set in 2013
Records began in 1916
Victoria
New record 25.2
Old record 23.9 set in 1931
Records began in 1914
Victoria Harbour
New record 24.8
Old record 21.7 set in 2016
Records began in 1874
Whistler
New record 28.5
Old record 25.6 set in 2013
Records began in 1950
