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6h ago

B.C. Heat Wave Drives Record 40°C as Smoke Triggers Metro Vancouver Air-Quality Warning

Officials warn smoke will intensify over the next 24 to 72 hours, with poor air expected to linger into Friday.

An early season hot spell set a number of new temperature records in B.C. and Alberta over the past few days, including Lytton, B.C. where the mercury hit 39.3 C on Sunday, making it the hottest spot in the country, breaking a record set two years ago.
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Lytton, B.C., reached temperatures of 40 degrees, breaking its 2022 record.
A person cools off in Lynn Creek in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for British Columbia, from the north to central coast and in the Fraser Canyon area east of Vancouver, where daytime highs between 30 and 35 degrees are expected through Sunday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Overview

  • Heat warnings remain in nine regions under a stubborn ridge after records fell in more than a dozen communities, including Lytton reaching 40 C.
  • Metro Vancouver issued an air-quality advisory as smoke from fires near Hope, Whistler, the Cariboo and U.S. blazes spread through the Lower Mainland.
  • Parts of Metro Vancouver reached a “very high” Air Quality Health Index reading of 10+ and school districts moved outdoor activities indoors.
  • Roughly 150 to 170 wildfires are active across B.C., many out of control, following a late-August lightning surge that left fuels highly susceptible.
  • Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said smoke will be a major factor over the next 24–72 hours, with heat alerts expected to ease by Thursday or Friday and haze persisting until then.