A 100-year-old temperature record fell in B.C. on Thursday

(Shutterstock)

Several communities in the B.C. Interior saw record-high temperatures on Thursday, in most cases breaking previous records by multiple degrees Celsius.

The record that had stood the longest was in Merritt, B.C., where temperature records have been kept since 1918, according to a weather summary issued by Environment Canada Thursday evening.

The previous record for Feb. 10 in the area was 11.7 degrees, set 101 years ago in 1921. On Thursday, temperatures reached 12.9 C.

The average daily high temperature for Merritt in February between 1981 and 2010 was just 4.2 C, and Environment Canada describes the "normal" high for Feb. 10 as 4 degrees.

Elsewhere, temperature records also fell in the communities of Blue River, Clinton, Cranbrook, Golden and Sparwood.

The new record highs for each area are listed below, along with the previous records and the year they were set.

Blue River Area:

Preliminary new record: 8.6 C

Old record: 5.5 C, set in 2004

Clinton Area:

Preliminary new record: 10.4 C

Old record: 7 C, set in 1987

Cranbrook Area:

Preliminary new record: 11.7 C

Old record: 9.8 C, set in 2015

Golden Area:

Preliminary new record: 9.8 C

Old record: 6.1, set in 1958

Sparwood Area:

Preliminary new record: 11.8 C

Old record: 8.1, set in 2016

As noted, Environment Canada considers the new records "preliminary." The weather agency says its daily weather summaries "may contain preliminary or unofficial information" and "do not constitute a complete or final report."