Temperatures in coastal B.C. are expected to surpass 30 C on Wednesday, prompting an alert from Environment Canada.
Heat and air quality warnings now cover the lower two-thirds of British Columbia — including much of Vancouver Island — as Environment Canada warns of a ridge of high pressure that is moving inland.
The weather agency has posted heat warnings for central and eastern Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and inland sections of the north and central coast that are expected to last to Wednesday, while warnings for the Interior could persist until Thursday.
Temperatures in coastal areas are expected to surpass 30 C, while the southern Interior and Fraser Valley can expect temperatures into the mid-30s.
The forecast for Port Alberni is 36 C for Tuesday and Wednesday, while Nanaimo is expected to hit 32 C on both days. The normal high for this time of year is 26 C and 23 C, respectively.
A warning is not in place for Greater Victoria, where temperatures were forecast to hit 27 C on Tuesday and 28 C on Wednesday, about five degrees higher than the seasonal high for July.
The current wave of high temperatures led to four daily records being reached or breached on Monday, in Kitimat, Dease Lake, Sechelt and Squamish, where the temperature of 34.6 C surpassed a mark set in 1990.
Monday’s highest temperature in B.C. and Canada was 36.3 C in Lytton. The temperature there surpassed 40 C on Tuesday.
Air quality advisories issued
Environment Canada has also issued air quality advisories for the next 24 to 48 hours that cover much of central and southern B.C., caused by wildfire smoke as about 80 blazes burn across the province.
The weather office says smoke across the Skeena region was expected to thin by Tuesday, though it will persist in valley bottoms overnight and conditions are expected to worsen in southern regions.
No warnings were in place for Vancouver Island, but data from the provincial government show a moderate health risk in some parts of the Island, including Greater Victoria.
B.C. Hydro bracing for high demand
B.C. Hydro has said summer power consumption in the province may reach all-time highs this week as heat pushes people to use air conditioners in a bid to cool down.
The current summer peak usage record is just over 8,600 megawatts, set in August 2025, according to the power utility.
Peaks this week are estimated to range between 8,200 and 8,800 megawatts, depending how much the heat prompts air-conditioning usage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2026.