Warm weather records broken as B.C. marks hottest weekend yet this summer

Warm weather records were broken in several areas of B.C. on Sunday.

Data from Environment Canada shows that some neighbourhoods on Vancouver Island, as well as in southern B.C.'s Coast Mountains, recorded their hottest temperatures ever for July26.

"It was the hottest weekend for the province so far this summer with many stations hitting the 30-degree mark and beyond," said CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe.

Esquimalt Harbour, Sheringham Point and the Victoria neighbourhood of Gonzales all broke records, as did the Nester's area of Whistler, and the Callaghan Valley.

• Esquimalt Harbour: 25.7 C
• Sheringham Point: 25.5 C
• Victoria Gonzales: 29.1 C
• Whistler Nester's: 33.4 C
• Callaghan Valley: 30.6 C

While temperatures may have hit new peaks in some areas, it was a village deep in B.C.'s Fraser canyon that recorded the hottest temperature.

"The hot spot across the province yesterday was Lytton with a sweltering 37.7 C," Wagstaffe said.

"It was also Canada's hottest temperature."

Heat warnings and advisories are still in effectMondayfor the southern half of B.C.

"It will be a touch cooler tomorrow but the heat really doesn't break until Wednesday when our dome of heat moves east toward the Prairies," Wagstaffe said.

Environment Canada is forecasting temperatures rising to 35 C in the Okanagan, Shuswap, Thompson and West Kootenays on Monday.

With the high temperatures, Interior Health is urging residents to prepare and be aware.

"Too much heat can be harmful to your health," said Dr. Sue Pollock with Interior Health.

Four groups of people are most susceptible to heat-related illness, she said: infants and young children, the elderly, those who do physical work in a hot environment and anyone with chronic diseases.

Fortunately, heat-related illness is preventable, she added.

Ways to beat the heat include seeking out cool areas, drink cool, non-alcoholic fluidsand leave outdoor activitiesfor the cooler periods of the day.