VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. – It was a historically hot Wednesday on parts of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
A strong ridge of high pressure shattered 17 heat records for June 12th across B.C.
The thermometer climbed to 30 degrees Celsius yesterday in Campbell River, breaking the old record of 28.7 degrees set in 1982. Records began in 1958.
It was also a record-setting day in Powell River which hit 33 degrees, topping the old mark of 28.3 degrees that stood for 87 years.
Further south in Nanaimo, it hit 32 degrees, eclipsing the old record of 30.6 degrees set in 1932.
Comox saw its third warmest June 12th on record, at 25.9 degrees. The record for the day is 27.6 degrees from 1982.
In Port Hardy, the temperature hit 21.4 degrees, making it the second hottest June 12 on record. It fell just shy of the record from 1999 of 21.7 degrees.
Environment Canada meteorologist Bobby Sekhon said a combination of conditions brought the heat to the region yesterday.
“We had a pretty good ridge of high pressure,” he said. “The axis aligned perfectly to get those hot temperatures along the coast. And the other thing was that, there was very little wind around, too. The temperature was allowed to come up without the influence of the ocean coming in on them.”
Sekhon said it’s expected to cool slightly today as the ridge moves off the coast before another brief ridge builds back in tomorrow and Saturday.
“We’ll see temperatures climb up again, especially on Saturday, kind of in the mid-20s sort of thing, however, it may not be quite as hot as yesterday was but it will get warm again nonetheless,” he added.
A change in the pattern will bring cooler weather, clouds, and even the possibility of showers next week.
And that’s good news to some because as warm as it’s been on the island and the coast this month, it has been equally dry.
Since June 1st, to today, just 1.4 millimetres of rain has fallen on both the Comox Valley and Powell River.
Sekhon said we’re on pace for one of the driest Junes on record in both those communities.
“In June, still on average, Powell River gets about 57.4 millimetres of precipitation and then Comox in June usually sees about 42.8 millimetres of precipitation, so right now, we’re well those numbers and not expecting any significant rainfall on the way, either,” he said.
Other heat records for June 12th included:
Abbotsford – new record 31.9 (old record 28.5 set in 1999)
Records began in 1944
Agassiz – new record 33.0 (old record 31.1 set in 1932)
Records began in 1889
Chilliwack – new record 33.0 (old record 32.2 set in 1932)
Records began in 1881 – Gonzales Point Area
Gonzales Point – new record 30.0 (old record 28.8 set in 2002)
Records began in 1874
Hope – new record 32.5 (old record 28.4 set in 2002)
Records began in 1936
Malahat – new record 29.2 (old record 26.6 set in 2002)
Records began in 1986
Merritt – tied record 32.0 from 1982
Records began in 1918
Pitt Meadows – new record 31.7 (old record 31.1 set in 1932)
Records began in 1874
Princeton – new record 33.0 (old record 32.8 set in 1918)
Records began in 1893
Squamish – new record 31.4 (Old record 27.0 set in 1999)
Records began in 1960
Tofino – new record 27.0 (old record 26.7 set in 1936)
Records began in 1896
Vancouver – new record 29.1 (old record 27.4 set in 1999)
Records began in 1896
Victoria – new record 29.6 (Old record 28.9 set in 1932)
Records began in 1914
White Rock – new record 30.9 (old record 29.4 set in 1932)
Records began in 1929
