LYTTON — A spate of extremely hot weather in parts of British Columbia has seen one Interior community tie the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada in the month of September.
Environment Canada says temperatures in Lytton, B.C., hit 40 C on Tuesday, matching the September record previously set in Manitoba, while breaking a daily record for the village of 39.6 C set in 2022.
Other B.C. communities that set new daily high temperature records Tuesday included Cache Creek in the Interior where the temperature hit 39.3 C, as well as Kelowna, Princeton and Whistler.
Heat warnings remain in place for nine areas of the province including inland portions of the north and central coast, the North and South Thompson, the Fraser Canyon and Boundary regions.
Air-quality advisories due to wildfire smoke meanwhile cover 13 areas of the Interior and northeast, while heavy smoke haze was also hanging over Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Environment Canada says temperatures in the southern Interior are due to a ridge of high pressure "anchored" over the region, creating a "moderate risk" to public health.
The heat warnings are expected to end by Thursday for the southern Interior and Friday for inland parts of the north and central coast.
The smoke related to the air advisories is expected to persist until Friday in most places.
Metro Vancouver says hazy conditions over parts of the Lower Mainland are due to wildfire smoke and high humidity.
It says fires contributing to the smoke include blazes just east of Hope, near Whistler, and the Cariboo area, as well as fires in the United States.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2025.
The Canadian Press
