Squamish’s all-time high temperature has been shattered two days in a row, with the prospect of that happening for a third time in a row today.
On Sunday, the temperature rose to 41.2 C, shattering Saturday’s record, according to measurements taken at the airport.
The day before, the record was broken at 39 C.
Local meteorologist Jason Ross said records in the area go back to the 1970s, with the previous all-time high being 38 C in September 1988.
“This pretty much smashes that out of the water,” Ross said. “We’ve never seen conditions so warm before — ever. It is very, very off the charts.”
Saying something like this doesn’t happen often would be an understatement.
“It would be more rare than one out of 1,000-year event,” said Ross.
“Which means if you could live in one particular spot for 1,000 years you would only likely experience this heat...once — ever.”
Squamish is not alone in experiencing the heat.
The national record was broken on Sunday in Lytton, which set a new high of 46.1 C, which surpassed the previous record of 45 C set in Saskatchewan in 1937. It’s the new highest temperature recorded anywhere in Canada.
Ross said these temperatures are dangerous, especially for those who have no access to air conditioning.
While temperatures might ease off a little in the near future, they will still likely be in the 30s.
