So how hot was it?
August 2022 was the all-time hottest month ever recorded in Chilliwack, in terms of average temperatures.
The mean temperature for August 2022 was 22.65 C, according to Roger Pannett, Chilliwack’s volunteer weather observer for Environment Canada.
August of this year was even hotter than the heat dome month in B.C., June 2021, where the average - or mean temperature - was 20.56 C.
The second, and third hottest months ever were in July 2015 at 22.17 C, and July 2018 at 22.09 C, by average temperatures.
Part of the explanation could be that the heat over the month of August 2022 actually started in mid-July with “persistent and resilient” high pressure ridges, and continued throughout the month, according to Pannett’s month report.
The drought has lasted more than 50 days, with the only light rainfall of 6.8 millimetres falling on Aug. 3, during the passage of a weak upper level trough. With rainfall at 89.5 per cent below normal, it was the driest August since the paltry 3.5-mm rainfall total in 2017.
“The driest August on record was the 0.3 mm in 1930.”
There were 15 sizzling-hot days last month with temperatures above 30 C, an August record-breaking total, whereas the average is two hot days.
Environment Canada issued multiple heat warnings. On Aug. 17 temperatures peaked at 34.6 C which was 11.2 C above normal and hitting the exact same heat level at 34.6 C max in 2012.
A total of 12 high temperature records were broken, including many high overnight temperatures.