Heat wave forecast to hit Okanagan, Kamloops this weekend

Break out the sunscreen and crank up your air conditioners. It’s going to be hot in Kamloops and the Okanagan this weekend and into next week.

A weather system set to cross the Southern Interior will bring highs in the mid-30s, so Environment Canada has issued special weather statements to give the public a heads up.

The weekend high temperature forecast in Kamloops and across the Okanagan is 34 Celsius on Sunday. The high temperature Saturday will be around 30 C. It’s expected to remain hot into the week until Wednesday or Thursday.

Overnight lows are forecast to be in the low to mid-teens.

Some rain is expected to deliver relief in Kamloops and the Okanagan near the end of next week.

Environment Canada meteorologist Derek Lee said it’s going to be a dry kind of hot.

“It will be staying a little bit on the drier side, so I wouldn’t say it’s super humid. Definitely not looking like it’s going to be too unbearable,” Lee said.

He said it looks like this summer is going to be a bit hotter than usual in the Southern Interior.

Environment Canada is asking people to watch for signs of heat illness, including heavy sweating, rash, cramps, fainting, and worsening of health conditions.

It is encouraging people to keep their house cool and block the sun by closing curtains or blinds, saying fans alone cannot effectively lower body temperature.