Hot weather raising concerns over floods, wildfires in B.C., but heat dome not expected

Temperatures across much of British Columbia are expected to rise sharply in the days ahead, raising concerns about the effect hot weather will have on flooding and wildfires in the province.

Environment Canada says many parts of B.C. will see unseasonably hot weather Friday through Tuesday with the highest temperatures expected on Sunday and Monday.

The agency says daytime highs will rise into the low to mid-30s over the central and southern Interior, while northern regions will hit the mid to high 20s — 10-15 C above what is seasonable.

Heat dome not expected

B.C. Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma has said the forecast does not call for a heat dome like the one that killed hundreds of people in the summer of 2021.

A heat dome occurs when a high-pressure system traps heat near the earth's surface and gets held in place by a blocked jet stream.

Ma said one of the characteristics of a heat dome is that temperatures remain high in the evening.

"We are not anticipating that kind of scenario here," Ma said. "There may be times during the day when the temperature rises above 30 degrees in some areas of the province, but we do anticipate that the temperatures will cool down over the evening."

But heat can still be a risk to human health, and the ministry provides funding for local governments and First Nations to set up cooling centres, Ma said.

She said high temperatures can affect medically vulnerable people, and she encouraged British Columbians to check in on seniors in their community during hot weather.

Wildfire, flood concerns

More than 40 wildfires were burning in B.C. as of Wednesday, with the most severe blazes in the Peace River Regional District near the Alberta border. 

Environment Canada says the mercury will hit 28 C on Sunday and 30 C on Monday in Fort St. John, where a 29-square-kilometre wildfire is burning nearby.

The province issued a smoky skies bulletin Wednesday for northeast and east central regions of B.C.

Jordan Rattray, a pharmacist at the Fort St. John Pharmacy & Wellness Centre, says he has seen a spike in inhaler use. 

He says people with respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could experience flare-ups amid smoky skies. 

"It's indoor time right now," he said of people with respiratory conditions. "No strenuous activities outside and windows closed."

Provincial emergency officials have said that less rain than expected in the southern Interior last weekend stabilized the flood risk for a period, but forecasters warn the warm weather will likely trigger snowmelt and further threats.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued a flood warning for the lower Thompson region, which includes the Bonaparte River and Cache Creek area.

Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta says he expects to see more water descend upon the community in the coming days as blazing temperatures forecast for this weekend hit the snowpack.