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Vancouver Island smacked hard with record-breaking heat hammer

Towns smash records yesterday with temperatures up to 6 and 7 degrees higher than previous highs
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(John McKinley file photo)

It was a heat hammer that pulverized Vancouver Island yesterday and it is winding up for another swing.

Temperatures reached the high 30s yesterday throughout the Island’s major population corridors smashing records for June 27 by as much as 6 or 7 degrees.

Port Alberni was the hotspot on the Island Sunday, reaching a high of 41 C, according to Environment Canada and it is expected to hit 43 C today.

The heat wave is in contrast to average highs for June 27 that range from 20.4 in Victoria to 21.8 in Nanaimo.

Environment Canada is forecasting a similar day today before temperatures begin dropping somewhat tomorrow, and then more significantly Wednesday to highs in the mid- to upper 20s.

A look at some temperatures recorded yesterday in select communities:

  • Port Hardy 29.6*, previous record unavailable, today’s forecast 30
  • Campbell River 39.3, previous record 33.3 set in 2015, today’s forecast 38
  • Comox Valley 38.0, previous record 31.1, set in 2015, today’s forecast 38
  • Tofino 34.6, previous record 29.8, set in 2015, today’s forecast 32
  • Port Alberni 41, previous record 36.6 set in 2015, today’s forecast 43
  • Qualicum Beach 36.9, previous record 31.6, set in 2015, today’s forecast 38
  • Nanaimo 38.2, previous record 34.6, set in 2015, today’s forecast 38
  • Duncan 39, previous record 33.1 set in 2015, today’s forecast 38
  • Victoria 38, previous record 29* set in 2015, today’s forecast 37

*(Environment Canada confirms yesterday’s temperature was a record, but does not indicate the previous record. 2015 temperature, according to timeanddate.com)

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John McKinley

About the Author: John McKinley

I have been a Black Press Media journalist for more than 30 years and today coordinate digital news content across our network.
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