109-year-old heat record broken in Victoria Saturday

Victoria's Inner Harbour is shown on Thurs., April 26, 2018. (CTV Vancouver Island)

British Columbia’s capital saw its hottest Aug. 23 in more than 100 years Saturday, according to preliminary data from Environment Canada.

Weather stations in the Victoria-area registered a high of 31.1 C, beating the record of 30 C set in 1916. Other communities on Vancouver Island where the temperature hit 31.1 C included Comox and Courtenay, breaking records of 30 C for those places set in 1966.

The highest temperature on the list was recorded in Lytton, where the mercury hit 38.6 C, over a degree hotter than the previous record of 37.5 C in 1958.

On the Lower Mainland, the temperature in Abbotsford rose to 34.2 C, far exceeding the record of 31.7 C set in 1966. Pitt Meadows saw a high of 33 C, breaking a 91-year-old record of 31.7 C.

The BC Wildfire Service has warned the hot, dry weather could lead to flareups of existing fires, or new blazes sparking.

The following is a list of the other preliminary temperature records broken Saturday, which Environment and Climate Change Canada notes “does not constitute a complete or final report.”

• Cache Creek area: New record of 36.8 C. Old record of 35.6 C set in 1958.
• Gibsons area:  New record of 30.2 C. Old record of 26.9 C set in 2015.
• Lillooet area:  New record of 37.1 C. Old record of 36.5 C set in 2002.
• Malahat area:  New record of 31.9 C. Old record of 30.5 C set in 1987. 
• Pemberton area:  New record of 35.6 C. Old record of 35.5 C set in 2002.
• Qualicum beach area:  New record of 30.3 C Old record of 27.8 C set in 1966
• Sechelt area: New record of 30.2 C. Old record of 28.5 set in 1996. 
• Smithers area: New record of 29.2 C. Old record of 28.9 set in 2022. 
• Tofino area:  New record of 28.8 C. Old record of 28.4 C set in 1988
• Vernon area:  Tied record of 33.3 C set in 1915
• West Vancouver area: New record of 30.1 C. Old record of 29.0 C set in 1987. 
• Whistler area: New record of 34.2 C. Old record of 33.5 C set in 1988.