Five heat records broken in Okanagan

While it was nothing like the “heat dome” that broke records in June, temperatures in the Okanagan were as much as 11 degrees above previous record highs for yesterday, Dec. 1.

Penticton led the way with a high of 22.5 Celsius, smashing the 11.2 C previous high set in 2012.

In fact, 2012 was an unusually warm Dec. 1. That was the warmest year for four Okanagan communities that broke records yesterday.

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Summerland was the second warmest in the Okanagan at 20.7 C versus 11.3 C in 2012. That was followed by Osoyoos at 18.1 C (12.3 C in 2012), Kelowna at 17.8 C (13.0 C in 2012) and Vernon at 17.5 C (11.2 C in 2012).

Three other daily high record temperatures were broken in nearby communities as well.

Salmon Arm hit 17.9 C yesterday versus 11.4 C in 1995. Princeton reached 15.1 C versus 10.0 C in 2012 and Merritt had a high yesterday of 15 C compared to 11.7 C in 1972.

The high in Kamloops yesterday was a mere 12 C.

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On June 29, Lytton set the all-time Canadian heat record at 49.6 C. Kamloops hit 47.3 C that day and Kelowna was 45.7, which was still hotter than the previous Canadian record of 45 C set in the towns of Midale and Yellowgrass, Sask. on July 5, 1937.

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