On Sunday, Lytton, B.C. became the first location in Canada ever to record a temperature over 45 degrees Celsius, registering at least 46.1 degrees Celsius (114.98 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Environment Canada.
The reading by Environment Canada in Lytton surpassed the previous national high of 45 C (113 F), which was set in Saskatchewan in 1937, the Associated Press reports.
Environment and Climate Change Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips told CTVNews.ca earlier Sunday it was likely that Canada’s hugh temperature record would be broken in the next few days.
Actually, Lytton was mentioned as being one place where a record could be broken, Daytime highs are anticipated to reach 46 degrees C on Monday and 47 on Tuesday.
“It may not get to 47 C, but I think it’s a done deal,” Phillips said. “It’s going to be the all-time Canadian record.”
Global News is reporting that the previous record of 45 C was documented in Yellow Grass, and Midale, Sask., on July 5, 1937. The previous B.C. record of 44.4 C was set in Lytton in 1941.
Fire risk for British Columbia is High
On the fire danger rating map, the entire province of British Columbia is at a “high” risk, with growing pockets of “extreme” risk. “These next few days are going to be cumulative,” Environment Canada meteorologist Arman Castellan told Global News, adding that breaking all-time records was a real possibility.
“The heat is going to add from the day previous and we’re going to see extreme heat really across the province up into the Cariboo, the coast, the south coast is included.”
Castellan repeated what other meteorologists around North America have been saying = “As climate change continues, extreme heat events such as this one will become more frequent, more extreme and last longer.”
