Records tumble and heat warnings expand across B.C., as bad-air advisories are lifted

Heat warnings are in place for parts of B.C. for much of the week.

A series of temperature warnings and special weather statements has been expanded as a heat wave that has already broken more than 20 daily heat records settles in over British Columbia.

But the Metro Vancouver Regional District says air-quality warnings associated with the hot weather, combined with wildfire smoke and local emissions, have now ended.

The district says the smog warnings have been lifted for northeast and southeast Metro Vancouver, as well as the eastern and central Fraser Valley.

Environment Canada heat warnings are meanwhile in place for the Fraser Canyon, the South Okanagan and the South Thompson, which are all expecting temperatures into the high 30s to continue, as well as inland sections of the north and central coasts, with temperatures up to 29 Celsius expected.

Heat advisories have been expanded to include four special weather statements on Vancouver Island, with the agency saying the high temperatures across much of B.C. aren’t expected to lift until at least mid-week.

The forecast comes after 21 areas set or tied daily maximum temperature records on Sunday, topping out at 40.3 degrees in Lytton, which had the national high and broke a 67-year-old daily record.

They also include Whistler, where the mercury hit 35.1 C, surpassing the record of 34.3 C set in 1988, and Kelowna, where the temperature of 36.2 C overtook the previous record of 35 C set in 1999.

The British Columbia Wildfire Service says the hot and dry weather across much of the province is raising the potential for fire activity.

The service’s latest provincial situation report says the low relative humidity make forest fuels more susceptible to ignition amid the high temperatures.

The service adds that a “very slight risk” of lightning over the northern Cascades and Coast Mountains is expected to increase through the week.

The now-ended air-quality warnings for the Fraser Valley were partly due to smoke from the Sailor Bar wildfire burning about seven kilometres north of Yale.

The 120-hectare blaze has prompted evacuation alerts for Yale and Spuzzum areas, including properties on both sides of the Fraser River.

This report by Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press, was first published Aug. 25, 2025.