Vancouver BC 34 Degrees Celcius

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The city of Vancouver has registered its hottest day on record.
Environment Canada says a temperature of 33.8 C was recorded at Vancouver airport on Wednesday, shattering the previous high of 33.3 C that was set in 1960. "A very strong ridge of high pressure is currently dominating all of B.C.," said Gary Dickinson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
"The ridge of high pressure also brought up from the south very warm air, which was responsible for the record-breaking temperatures."
And Dickinson says Vancouver wasn't the only city to record its hottest day ever.
"Abbotsford beat their all-time record as well. The previous record was 37.9 C and they reached 38.0 C," he said.
A number of municipalities throughout the province set daily records.
Victoria reached 35.0 C, besting the old mark of 31.1 C.
Port Alberni hit 40.0 C, with the previous record being 37.8 C.
And Bella Coola reached 41.2 C, bettering the previous high of 34.3 C that was set in 1898.
Dickinson says the sweltering weather is something British Columbians, some of whom are uncharacteristically hoping for rain, will have to get used to over the coming days.
"The ridge of high pressure responsible for the warm temperatures will continue to hold over the province for the remainder of the week and going into the weekend," he said.
"The temperatures will gradually cool over the course of the weekend."
The high temperatures have brought with them an air quality advisory for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Dickinson says there are a few things residents can do to cope with the conditions.
"Drink a lot of fluids, stay hydrated and just keep yourself protected from the sun."
Temperatures in southwestern British Columbia are expected to push through new records today, a move that will continue to make the Fraser Valley an uncomfortable place to be for people with breathing problems.
Environment Canada is predicting that the temperature will hit a record 32 degrees Celsius at Vancouver International Airport, the highest for this date since 1960.
"It will seem even hotter because of the high humidity level,'' said CTV meteorologist Baljit Sekhon, adding that the relative humidity level is usually 30-40 per cent at this time of year.
But on Tuesday, it reached 80 per cent at the airport.
Hot temperatures and stagnant air prompted Metro Vancouver to issue yet another air quality warning, telling residents to minimize their use of automobiles where possible.
The condition of the air is especially tough on people like Ken Fisher, a 74-year-old Langley resident, who suffers from emphysema. This muggy heat and bad air quality could be a matter of live and death if he isn't careful.
"I would prefer to have it quite a bit cooler than this, because it's just a little too hard to breathe,'' he said.
But it's not just people like Ken who are being warned about the air. The BC Lung Association is telling everyone to limit their time outdoors, especially children and the elderly.
It also helps to know the symptoms to watch for.
"For people affected by poor air quality - [symptoms] could range from sore throat - itchy watery eyes....or even coughing,'' said Menn Biagtan of the BC Lung Association.
In Langley, the mountains are hard to see because of the increased smog. Parks sit empty as people seek refuge indoors. In the Fraser Valley -- where temperatures are expected to hit 36 degrees Celsius today -- the air quality is especially poor. That's because it gets trapped.
"Normally we would see about a three on the air quality index - and right now we're seeing about a five or six,'' said Laurie Bates-Frymel, an air quality planner with Metro Vancouver.
But the question of whether or not conditions will get worse is a tough one to forecast, Bates-Frymel admits.
"There are several different factors at play. If you get regional growth - if you get more people in the Fraser Valley, if we get climate change - it's a really tough question to answer," she said.
At a time like this, residents are advised to cut down on their driving.
"Avoid the outdoors. being near cars, factories, etc.,'' said Biagtan of the BC Lung Association.
But for those who can't be outside period - the days ahead are long - dreaded - and potentially deadly.
Abbotsford, BC All Time Record High 100 °F July 29, 2009
Atlin, BC All Time Record High 88 °F July 30, 2009
Bella Coola, BC All Time Record High 106 °F July 29, 2009
Kemano, BC All Time Record High 104 °F July 29, 2009
Port Alberni, BC All Time Record High 104 °F July 29, 2009
Smithers, BC All Time Record High 97 °F July 30, 2009
Stewart, BC All Time Record High 91 °F July 30, 2009
Vancouver, BC All Time Record High 95 °F July 29, 2009
Vancouver International Airport, BC All Time Record High 94 °F July 30, 2009
Kitimat, BC All Time Record High 102 °F July 29, 2009
#recordheat #bcrecordheat #2009heatwave

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Vancouver BC 34 Degrees Celsius _ The Weather Network July 29, 2008 & 2009

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