When the mercury tops 30 C on Monday, as it is expected to do, that will mark the longest heat wave in Chilliwack’s history.
Sunday marked the hottest day of the year so far with the temperature hitting 35 C with 29 per cent humidity. That is 10 C above normal, but doesn’t break the all-time record temperature for July 29 of 38.2 C in 2009.
Sunday also marked day nine of a heat wave with temperatures above 30 C, according to Environment Canada’s volunteer weather observer Roger Pannett.
Pannett said in his past 30 years of recording there were also nine consecutive days over 30 C in 2004 and 2009.
Those years also exceed the heatwave consecutive days of 1998, 1981, 1965, 1928, 1926,1911 and 1903, he said.
With the hot weather also comes a continued air quality advisory for the Fraser Valley and eastern parts of Metro Vancouver because of high concentrations of ground-level ozone. The advisory is expected to persist for a few more days until there is a change in the current weather.
This ground-level ozone is unrelated to the hazy skies, which is coming from wildfire smoke over the South Coast from distant wildfires in Eurasia and Alaska, as well as a bog fire in Richmond.
Wildfire smoke concentrations are not causing particulate matter objectives to be exceeded.
And relief is on the way with forecast temperatures to drop to 24 C by the weekend.
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@PeeJayAitch
paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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