Temperatures hit scorching and record breaking levels over the weekend – prompting Environment Canada to issue an unusual heat warning for the Similkameen Valley.
“Generally we do see this weather pattern over the summer time, that’s not unusual, but it was a little bit earlier than what you would normally expect,” said Lisa Coldwells, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, in an interview Monday.
Saturday June 27 temperatures in Princeton hit 38.5, breaking not only the daily record of 34.8 set in 2006 but the all-time June temperature record of 37.6 set in 2008.
Sunday’s high of 37.6 broke a daily record of 36.1 set previously in 1937.
According to Coldwells it is not normal practice for Environment Canada to issue heat alerts in BCs Interior, because unlike in other areas of the province and country, the health authority cannot link extreme heat with mortality rates.
“We haven’t issued a special weather statement about heat for the Southern Interior [since] 2009,” she said.
In addition to record high temperatures, precipitation for June in Princeton has been unusually low, Coldwells added.
The 30-year average rainfall for June in Princeton is 37.6 mm, while as of Monday June 29 Princeton had only accumulated 11.1 mm.
“So far we’ve got extra hot and extra dry but at this moment we have the potential for some wet thunderstorms developing this afternoon,” she said.
For the balance of the week Environment Canada is forecasting “typical, perfect vacation weather – sunny and temperatures in the low 30s.”