Heat wave may threaten Canada’s all-time September heat record
Temperatures could soar close to the 40-degree mark in some areas during the opening days of September
As hints of fall continue to creep across Canada, stubborn summertime heat is hanging on for some parts of the country.
The recent spate of above-seasonal temperatures on the West Coast will continue straight into the upcoming week, potentially threatening to topple the record for Canada’s hottest-ever reading in the month of September.
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A ridge of high pressure parked over British Columbia will reinforce in the days ahead, prolonging the unusually high heat many communities have experienced of late. Lytton, B.C., just saw a historic streak of four consecutive 40°C days.
Temperatures will come in 10-15 degrees above seasonal for the end of August and beginning of September, with the highest readings across the typical hot-spots within B.C.’s Interior.
We’ll see daytime highs in the mid- to upper-30s throughout the Interior during the week ahead. Some areas could meet or exceed 40 degrees, with Lytton a prime candidate to hit the mark.
40.0°C is the hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada during the month of September. Two communities have reached that milestone—Morden, Man., back in 1906, and again 34 years later in Lost River, Sask.
A spell of heat in 2022 set September’s all-time hottest record in both Lytton (39.6°C) and Kamloops (38.3°C). The month’s hottest reading on record down in Vancouver was a 29.3°C day back in 1988.
Even though the number of daylight hours continues to decline in September, prolonged heat will build in the Interior valleys. Communities in the region will remain in the lower 20s through the hottest nights later in the week.
Extreme heat affects everyone. Sensitive groups are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, but even healthy folks are susceptible to heat exhaustion or worse in extreme heat.
We’re also on the lookout for rising fire danger as the heat continues across the region. There are currently 53 out-of-control fires in B.C., which is up sharply from just a couple of weeks ago. More fires are possible amid this heightened danger.