Calgary hit an all-time high temperature on Friday, as the blistering southern Alberta heatwave continues.
Thermometers hit a sweltering 36.4 C, eclipsing the previous record of 36.1 C, set 85 years ago.
Much of Western Canada is under heat warnings ahead of what is expected to be a very hot weekend.
Environment Canada’s public weather alerts map shows a large red wave of heat warnings sweeping across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and into southern British Columbia. More than 100 regions are affected.
It has been so hot in Saskatchewan that officials with SaskPower said the province set a new summer power demand record of 3,520 megawatts, an increase of 50 megawatts from the previous record set last August. The 50 megawatt increase could power 50,000 homes, the corporation said in a news release.
“It’s not impossible we’ll break this record again in the coming days,” it said.
In Calgary, Environment Canada forecasted a temperature of 36 C on Friday, which is 14 degrees warmer than normal for the season. In addition to the heat, forest fire smoke from parts of Alberta and B.C. have caused poor air quality through an area that stretches into Saskatchewan.
Conditions are expected to improve through the weekend in some areas, as a cold front moves in.
