
It’s been a gloomy and overcast summer so far, but that’s about to change with plenty of sun and heat in the forecast just in time for Canada Day.
The B.C. South Coast is set to get sunshine and blue skies starting on the weekend and lingering until at least Canada Day on Tuesday.
“We’re going to be trending towards fair, summer-type weather coming up over the weekend,” thanks to a “pretty robust” high pressure system moving in off the Pacific Ocean, said Environment Canada meteorologist Matt Loney.
Saturday is expected to be a transition day, with temperatures warming up across the South Coast, the B.C. Interior, and even into the north.
Typically, temperatures for areas near the water this time of year hover around 20 C, while inland it’s usually about 22 C., said Loney.
“We’re going to be anywhere from three to eight degrees above that, with the hottest day probably Monday or Tuesday,” he noted.
In Vancouver, conditions are expected to start heating up on Saturday with a high of 21 C, rising to 25 C by Canada Day.
Inland, it’ll be even warmer. After a cloudy Saturday, Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley can expect sun and highs of 30 C on Monday and 29 C on Tuesday.
In Whistler, temperatures will be about five to six degrees above seasonal, hitting a high of 27 C on Monday and Tuesday. It’ll be even warmer further north in Pemberton, where it’ll feel like 32 C.
It’s a similar situation in Victoria — where it’ll be 24 C on Canada Day — and across the Interior. Kelowna, Kamloops and Osoyoos are expected to reach highs of 33 C on Tuesday.
Loney advised people to put on their sunscreen and enjoy the sunshine while they can. The sunny streak is expected to end by the middle of next week when clouds and cooler marine air start moving in.