Daily heat records fall across B.C. communities, including one century-old mark

VICTORIA — The arrival of summer in British Columbia has brought record-breaking temperatures.

Environment Canada says 21 communities reported matching or setting new daily highs on Tuesday, including Powell River where the mark of 31.6 degrees shattered the old record of 28.9 degrees set a century ago.

Fourteen communities reached daily heat records Tuesday that surpassed 30 degrees, with the highest in Squamish at 34.1 C, breaking a record set three years ago.

Duncan broke a mark set in 1940 by more than two degrees at 32.9, while in Fort St. John it reached 28.8 C, surpassing its previous high by a degree set in 1955.

It was also a scorcher across Vancouver Island, with Victoria, Port Hardy and Tofino all setting records, while on the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley records were toppled in West Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Abbotsford and Hope.

The above seasonal heat will stick around Wednesday before cooler temperatures and rain move in across much of the province, including bringing storms to parts of central and northern B.C. by Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2026.