‘I’m loving it’: Victoria residents beat the heat as temperatures soar

CHEK

Victoria residents are doing what they can to stay cool amid Vancouver Island’s first heat wave of the year.

Over the weekend, temperatures rose from the mid-20s to 30 degrees across the Island, with daily heat records being broken on Saturday in:

  • Comox at 26.9 C
  • Powell River at 26.4 C
  • Qualicum Beach at 27.1 C
  • Port Alberni at 30.6 C
  • Tofino at 27.7 C
  • Victoria Airport at 28.2 C
  • Victoria Gonzales at 27.7 C

Environment Canada says this is unseasonably warm for this time of year.

“We are looking at temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal during the day and five to 10 degrees above normal at night,” said meteorologist Louis Kohanyi. “It is very unusual for May in British Columbia.”

READ ALSO: First heat wave of the year to hit Vancouver Island this weekend

The heat brought many residents out to the beaches around the Greater Victoria area, with many telling CHEK News they were enjoying the warmth.

“I’m loving it,” said Victoria resident Jo Brunsden. “James Bay is usually slightly coolers than the rest of Victoria, so it’s nice to have a bit of warmth around here.”

She said her family was taking advantage of the sunshine and spending the day skateboarding and rollerblading along Dallas Road.

Many were also seeking shade and ways to cool down in Beacon Hill Park, including 8-year-old Emery Hudson, who said, “Sometimes it gets a little too hot, so I like to chill out.”

She explained that playing at the watering can splash pad is one of the best ways to cool off, rating it a 10 out of 10.

The heat is also affecting summer-based businesses like Jackson’s Ice Cream Float in Fisherman’s Wharf, which has seen its busiest May weekend ever.

Employee Nuala O’Connell said lineups are constant all day, with people trying to beat the heat with a sweet treat.

“There was a lineup as soon as we opened,” O’Connell explained. “That’s not always common before noon.”

According to Environment Canada, the heat should persist throughout the next week, giving residents more time to soak up the sun.

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