VANCOUVER — A recent spike in temperatures has pushed several communities along the British Columbia coast to new daily heat records this week as the end of summer nears.

Environment Canada says the high temperature mark for Sept. 16 was set in six B.C. communities yesterday, with White Rock in the Lower Mainland hitting 29 degrees.

That mark eclipsed a previous record of 28.9 degrees, set more than a half-century ago in 1967.

Daily records also fell in Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast, Malahat and Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, as well as in Prince Rupert and Bella Bella along the north and central coasts.

The BC Wildfire Service says it’s expecting showers and thunderstorms, with gusts possibly reaching up to 70 kilometres an hour while dry and warm weather remains in the central and southern Interior.

The number of active wildfires in B.C. is hovering around 125, and a number of evacuation orders lifted in the Cariboo region yesterday as wet and cooler weather over the weekend tempered the spread of several blazes.

Wildfire smoke cast a haze over parts of Metro Vancouver, although no air-quality advisories are in place.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2025.