Balmy weather across much of British Columbia helped set dozens of new temperature records across the province on Saturday.
Environment Canada says a ridge of high pressure brought warm temperatures to the province this weekend, with above-normal conditions forecast to continue into this week.
In Victoria, the temperature hit 19 C, beating the old record of 18.3 C set in 1947.
Elsewhere on Vancouver Island, the Malahat area recorded 17.8 C, breaking the 36-year-old record of 14.5 C from 1988. In Port Hardy, it hit 15.4 C, breaking the 15 C record set in 1947.
Meanwhile, in Powell River, the new record of 18.9 C broke 1972’s record of 16.7 C.
Several other regions of the province also saw temperatures climb past 20 C over the weekend.
The weather office reported 38 communities logged their hottest March 16 on record, while the Nakusp area tied the record set in 1994.
Agassiz, B.C., broke its 124-year-old record of 22.8 C set in 1900 with temperatures that reached 23.3 C on Saturday.
Other locations that broke records with temperatures that reached at least 20 C included Abbotsford, Bella Bella, Bella Coola, Hope, Lytton, Merritt, Pemberton, Pitt Meadows, Princeton and Squamish.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2024.
The Canadian Press
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