Temperatures are poised to break heat records in the next few days, while smoky conditions linked to distant wildfires are expected to continue in the capital region.
“We’re flirting with records,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor. “It’s going to be close, but I wouldn’t say it’s a definite slam dunk.”
The Greater Victoria forecast is for 29 C today and 28 C on Saturday, while Nanaimo could see 31 C and Port Alberni can expect a sizzling 33 C.
The record high for the Victoria area for Sept. 6 is 29.4 C, set in 1894, based on data from several weather stations, while temperatures of 29 C and higher on Sept. 7 or 8 would break records set in 1894 and 1943.
In Nanaimo, the record high for Sept. 6 is 31.1, set in 1973.
Port Alberni’s Sept. 6 record is 34.4, set in 1909.
Proctor said that the redeeming thing about high temperatures at this time of year is they tend to come with relatively low overnight temperatures.
“We’re looking for overnight lows of about 11 to 12, so it lets everybody sort of recover from the heat of the day and not be so concerned about heat warnings and exposure to heat for long durations.”
Meanwhile, smoke that has wafted into the region from wildfires on the mainland and in Washington state and Oregon will stick around for a few more days because of the current wind pattern, said Proctor, although the air is expected to clear on Sunday.
“There’s going to be patchy smoke around,” he said. “We’ll probably have about three days of being concerned about more smoke coming.”
Some Central Saanich residents have been dealing with additional smoke in recent days from a waste pile at a private site in the Keating/Lochside area that “self-combusted,” said Central Saanich Fire Chief Kenn Mount.
He said he has seen it happen before in his two decades in the fire service.
Heavy equipment was needed to get at the source, Mount said, and nearby residents were reporting improved air quality on Thursday afternoon.
“It was really hot and dense inside the fire,” he said.
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