Environment Canada has upgraded the heat alert to a heat warning for Prince George and Vanderhoof.
Temperatures are expected to hit 32 degrees today (Saturday) and are expected to hover around the high 20’s for the rest of the August Long Weekend.
A heat alert was issued for both communities on Thursday morning.
Derek Lee, Environment Canada Meteorologist says in order for a heat warning to be issued, daytime and nighttime temperatures must exceed the seasonal temperatures for two days in a row.
“What we’re seeing is an upper ridge over the region and it looks like temperatures do meet our warning criteria as the high in Prince George is around 32 degrees today,” he explained.
Meanwhile, it is expected to drop to 15 degrees overnight in PG and Vanderhoof this evening.
The average temperature for this time of year equates to about 22.7 to 23 degrees for both areas, so it’s expected to be about 8 to 10 degrees warmer than average seasonal temperatures.
“The record for July 31st in Prince George is 33.3 degrees so what we’re forecasting for today doesn’t hit the record and as for tomorrow (August 1st), the record is 32.8 degrees from 1971 and we’re forecasting a high of 29 tomorrow so it doesn’t really look like we’re going to reach the records yet,” he added,
While it is expected to be quite hot, Environment Canada isn’t predicting temperatures will reach as high as earlier this summer when temperatures surpassed the 40-degree mark.
Environment Canada reminds residents to keep an eye out for heat-illness-related symptoms, noting that children, pregnant women, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.