Lytton, B.C., is living up to its reputation as the hottest location in Canada.
Starting Sunday, temperatures in the Fraser Canyon community have surpassed 40 Celsius for three consecutive days, including 41.3 C on Monday.
That is the hottest temperature recorded across the country so far this year, and smashes Lytton's previous daily record for Aug. 25 of 37.2 C, set in 1934.
The blazing conditions that also saw temperatures in Lytton hit 40.3 C on Sunday and at least 40.6 C on Tuesday are part of an ongoing heat wave that continues to scorch much of British Columbia.
It was among 16 areas of B.C. that set new daily maximum records for the same day, including Whistler, Pemberton, Kamloops, Kelowna and Burns Lake.
The temperature hit 38.8 C in Cache Creek, surpassing the previous record of 37.1 in 2022, while the high of 38.5 C in Lillooet broke the record of 37.3 set in the same year.
Environment Canada has maintained heat warnings for several areas, including the Fraser Canyon and southern parts of the Thompson and Okanagan regions, where daily highs reaching 35 to 39 C are forecast until the end of the week.
The Metro Vancouver Regional District issued an air-quality warning for the central and eastern Fraser Valley Tuesday due to smog caused by the heat and local emissions that's expected to last at least until Wednesday.
Matt Loney, a meteorologist with the department, said the heat was expected to ease on Friday as cooler marine air arrives along the coast and trickles into the Interior, though the first week of September is expected to be hotter than normal.
A heat warning is also in effect for inland sections of the north and central coasts, while a heat-related special weather statement covers much of Vancouver Island.
Loney said the ridge of high pressure that has brought late-season heat to B.C. may "cut off" the cooler system expected to move over the province.
"It's going to be kind of a standoff," he said.
"The computer models are suggesting that the upper ridge might win out and actually be able to stall the upper low and even send it back retrograding westward."
Loney said that means parts of B.C. may see a warmer first week of September with less rain than normal, but the forecast becomes less clear after that.
Overall, temperatures are declining as fall approaches, he says.
"Generally speaking, they're on their downward trend. But as we've seen, you can still hit 40 degrees this late in the year."
Lytton has hit 41 C as late as Aug. 30 in the past, Loney added.
In 2021, Lytton set the record for Canada's hottest temperature of 49.6 C. The next day, a wildfire destroyed most of the village.
The number of wildfires across B.C. has been holding steady at about 70, while BC Wildfire Service has warned the hot, dry conditions would raise the fire risk.
The service's figures show seven fires are classified as burning out of control, including the Sailor Bar fire in the Fraser Canyon. The fire had been mapped at 120 hectares, but the service updated the size of the blaze to 111 hectares on Tuesday.
The service said crews saw "minimal" growth overnight and Tuesday's operational focus was working with CN Rail to access areas at the top of the blaze.
Evacuation alerts for the Yale and Spuzzum areas remain in effect due to the fire.
-- With files from Darryl Greer in Vancouver
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2025.
Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
