How hot will it be this weekend in B.C.? Real hot
CBC News | Posted: July 27, 2018 7:03 PM | Last Updated: July 27, 2018
Heat wave expected to continue into next week with temperatures in parts of the province close to 40 C
The heat wave sweeping across most of B.C. is expected to make this weekend the hottest of the year so far across Metro Vancouver and other parts of the province.
Environment Canada says the heat warnings currently in place will continue as a high-pressure system remains locked in over B.C. through to July 31.
Air quality is expected to worsen in these conditions, with drought and fire dangers rising.
The traditional provincial hotspots of Lytton and Lillooet are expected to reach 39 C on Sunday, while high temperatures in the Lower Mainland will range from 26 C near the coast up to 33 C inland in Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe says the warm weather is due to a weather phenomenon called an omega block.
"An omega block is an example of a blocking high — an area of high pressure that remains stationary for a prolonged period,' Wagstaffe said.
"It gets its name from the way the jet stream flows clockwise around the high pressure system... forming a shape that resembles the Greek letter omega."
A break in the hot weather is expected by the middle of next week.