John Cragg, a meteorologist with the weather office, said the heat is coming from a “blocking pattern,” when the normal fluctuation of low and high pressures stops, and warm air flows into an area without relief from an influx of cooler northern air. on Wednesday, saying daytime highs in the Interior will be 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal averages, while overnight lows will be five to 10 degrees above normal. He said temperatures in some areas look poised to exceed seasonal norms by about 10 degrees, a magnitude he described as extreme.Įnvironment Canada issued a special weather statement for much of B.C.

The Alberta government declared a provincial state of emergency last weekend in response to fires that have forced thousands of people from their homes, and Rodell said the wildfire situation is also heating up in northeastern B.C. The hot, dry conditions will prime forest fuels for ignition, said University of British Columbia weather and wildfire researcher Chris Rodell, who’s concerned that lightning could spark fires after a ridge of high pressure linked to the heat wave breaks down next week.Īs the heat eases, Rodell said he expects instability in the atmosphere could lead to thunderstorms and strengthen winds sometime Tuesday or Wednesday. A heat wave that’s expected to push daytime temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal norms is raising the wildfire risk in Alberta and British Columbia, where crews are already battling early-season blazes.

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