Heat records fall across B.C. as wildfire risks climb, streamflow advisory issued

A wildfire sparked at Cultus Lake after a weekend of unseasonably hot and dry weather and burning bans for the South Coast are soon expected.

Much of southern British Columbia spent the last few days basking in the sun in what an Environment Canada meteorologist says is “exceptional” for this time of year.

The record-setting heat has set off cautions for rapid snow melt and possible wildfire starts.

B.C. broke daily temperature records in at least two dozen locations on Sunday, with several spiking above 30 C.

Environment Canada reported that among the highest was Pemberton with 32 C on Sunday, displacing a record of 31.1 C set almost 70 years ago.

Victoria’s harbourfront got to nearly 27 C, breaking the record by two degrees that was set more than a century ago, in 1898.

Other parts of the B.C. Interior, including Osoyoos, Lillooet and Cache Creek, also saw temperatures push past 30 C on Sunday.

Vancouver-based meteorologist Bobby Sekhon said that a ridge of high pressure from the Pacific Ocean brought with it temperatures that are “quite exceptional” for early May in much of southwestern B.C., including Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley

“We are looking at temperatures of five to 10 degrees above normal, generally, and over into the Fraser Valley, places like Abbotsford, we’re forecasting 13 degrees above normal,” he said on Monday, in the midst of what he called “the last very hot day.”

Sekhon said the weather will slowly cool down over the next several days, with temperatures getting closer to normal by Friday only to get warm again.

“Once we get into the weekend, we’re going to expect to see the ridge of high pressure kind of build in again, until we’ll see a bit of a boost in temperatures this weekend,” Sekhon said.

“But maybe not quite as hot as what we’ve seen yesterday and today,” he said on Monday.

Environment Canada’s forecast for next Saturday in Vancouver predicts a high of 19 degrees

The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a high streamflow advisory for areas of the northern Interior, warning that the high temperatures mean that snowmelt rates are expected to accelerate and remain elevated through mid-week.

The BC Wildfire service said it’s expecting above seasonal temperatures into this week and warns that could increase the likelihood of new wildfire starts.

There were about 31 active wildfires in B.C., as of Monday, with roughly 10 new fires started since Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2026.