British Columbians saw daily temperatures reach as high as 42.2 C last weekend as dozens of heat records fell across the province.
In total on Saturday (July 20) and Sunday (July 21), 39 communities broke or tied their hottest days in known history.
Environment Canada says 14 of those were made on Saturday and another 25 were made on Sunday. Both days, Lytton took the top title, with highs of 41.2 C and 42.2 C, respectively. The first broke a record from 1946 while the second surpassed a high from 2006.
Five other communities also hit or exceeded the 40 C mark, including Clearwater, Kamloops, Kelowna, Trail and Vernon.
The oldest record broken was in Quesnel on Sunday, where the community saw the thermometer hit 38.1 C, a full two degrees higher than the 36.1 C documented in 1904.
Coming out of the weekend, much of the province remains under heat warnings, including in the Interior and northeast. Environment Canada says the 28 regions under warning will continue to see above-normal temperatures for at least Monday before conditions begin to ease. People will experience "noticeably cooler" weather beginning Tuesday, the agency says.
Environment Canada has also issued air quality statements for 13 of those regions, where increased wildfire activity has been producing smoke. The weather agency says winds will shift where the smoke is felt worst throughout the day Monday, before settling into valleys overnight and easing Tuesday.
As of Monday morning, there are 325 wildfires burning throughout the province, 181 of those out of control. Four of the blazes are considered wildfires of note, meaning they are especially visible or pose a threat to public safety. Eight of the 325 have forced evacuation orders and alerts.
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