Mother nature isn't ready to give up on summer yet as for the third consecutive day, multiple B.C. communities broke heat records on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
After finishing with the second highest temperature in the province on Tuesday, Ashcroft claimed the top spot on Wednesday, recording a high of 40.8 C, beating its previous record of 35 C for that date, set in 1998. It was also the warmest place in the country on Wednesday. Records have been kept in the area since 1944.
The temperature of 40.8 recorded in Ashcroft on Sept. 3 also had the distinction of being the hottest September day ever recorded anywhere in Canada. The previous record was 40 C, set in Lytton on Sept. 2, 2025 (which tied with two other 40 C September days, in Manitoba in 1906 and in Saskatchewan in 1940.
Lytton and Nelson tied for second place, both reaching 39.8 C. For Lytton, the previous record was set in 1988 while in Nelson, it was in 2017. Records have been kept in the Lytton area since 1921 and the Nelson area since 1904.
Lillooet and Merritt also tied on Wednesday, both recording a high of 38.7 C. For the second straight day, Lillooet's record was the oldest of the day, breaking a 91-year-old record, which was 37.2 C set in 1934. Records have been kept in the area since 1917.
For Merritt, the previous record was set in 38.5 C was set in 1988. Records have been kept in the area since 1918.
Kamloops and Trail were the third duo to tie as both cities were 36.9 C. The previous high in Kamloops was 34.5 C, set in 1988, while in Trail it was 36 C set in 1998. Records have been kept in the Kamloops area since 1890 and in the Trail area since 1928.
Clearwater broke a record by two and a half degrees, reaching 36.4 C. The previous record was 33.9 C, set in 1950. Records have been kept in the area since 1913.
Kelowna was the highest temperature in the Okanagan on Wednesday, reaching 35.9 C. That broke the 27-year record of 34.8 C in 1998. Records have been kept in the area since 1899.
Just up Highway 97, Vernon reached 35.6 C, breaking the previous high of 34.2 C, also set in 1998. Records have been kept in the area since 1900.
In the Kootenays, Cranbrook beat a eight-year record as the temperature got up to 35.3 C on Wednesday. The previous record in 2017 was 34.9 C. Records have been kept in the area since 1901.
Clinton beat a record dating back to 1988, reaching a high of 34.3 C for the second straight day. The previous record was 31.5 C, set in 1988. Records have been kept in the area since 1974.
Up in Sparwood it was 33.9 C on Wednesday, which broke the previous record of 31.8 C set in 1998. Records have been kept in the area since 1969.
Tatlyoko Lake, an area currently in the vicinity of many wildfires, reached 32.9 C, breaking a 37-year-old record, which was 32 C in 1988. Records have been kept in the area since 1930.
In Northern B.C., Burns Lake reached 31.5 C. The previous record of 29.6 C set in 1988. Records have been kept in the area since 1949.
Lastly, Mackenzie reached 28.8 degrees on Wednesday, breaking its record set in 1988 by 0.2 of a degree (28.6 C). Records have been kept in the area since 1971.
For Ashcroft, Clearwater, Clinton, Lillooet, Lytton, Tatlayoko Lake, and Vernon, it was its third straight day breaking a record. For Kelowna and Mackenzie, it was its second straight day.
Daily temperature records for Sept. 3, 2025:
- Ashcroft: 40.8 C, previous record of 35 C set in 1988
- Burns Lake: 31.5 C, previous record of 29.6 C set in 1988
- Clearwater: 36.4 C, previous record of 33.9 C set in 1950
- Clinton: 34.3 C, previous record of 31.5 C set in 1988
- Cranbrook: 35.3 C, previous record of 34.9 C set in 2017
- Kamloops: 36.9 C, previous record of 34.5 C set in 1988
- Kelowna: 35.9 C, previous record of 34.8 C set in 1998
- Lillooet: 38.7 C, previous record of 37.2 C set in 1934
- Lytton: 39.8 C, previous record of 38.7 C set in 1988
- Mackenzie: 28.8 C, previous record of 28.6 C set in 1988
- Merritt: 38.7 C, previous record of 38.5 C set in 1988
- Nelson: 39.8 C, previous record of 35.8 C set in 2017
- Sparwood: 33.9 C, previous record of 31.8 set in 1998
- Tatlayoko Lake: 32.9 C, previous record of 32 C set in 1988
- Trail: 36.9 C, previous record of 36 C in 1998
- Vernon: 35.6 C, previous record of 34.2 C set in 1998
