National

Electricity demand and temperatures hit record levels in B.C.

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 05 May, 2026 04:18 PM

Warm weather across British Columbia has driven electricity demand to the highest level ever seen in May.

BC Hydro says residents using fans and air conditioners pushed demand to about 7,600 megawatts.

The record demand comes as temperature records continue to fall across B.C. as unseasonably warm weather persists, including in Vancouver, where a mark set more than 100 years ago was broken.

Environment Canada says Vancouver's high temperature on Monday reached 23.9 degrees, easily breaking the record of 22.2 degrees set in 1898.

The weather forecast agency says 19 communities set new daily highs for May 4 on Monday, including Pemberton, which reported a high of 31.5 degrees.

Meteorologists say the high temperatures are driven by a ridge of high pressure that will slowly cool down over the next few days before getting warm again this weekend.

The national hot spot on Monday was Lytton, B.C., at 31.9 degrees.

New daily temperature records were also set on Monday in Bella Coola, Campbell River, Duncan, Kitimat, Lillooet, Nanaimo, Port Alberni and Squamish, as well as in the Metro Vancouver communities of Richmond, West Vancouver and Pitt Meadows.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Voting on tentative deal ends for Alberta teachers a week before strike deadline

Union president Jason Schilling says teachers aren't taking the vote lightly, as a strike would disrupt classes for over 700,000 students.

Voting on tentative deal ends for Alberta teachers a week before strike deadline

U.S. outdoor school modifies coastal B.C. camping application following outcry

Hugh Braker, a member of the First Nations Summit executive team, was among the First Nations leaders who expressed concerns about the plan. He told The Canadian Press earlier this month that he worried about allowing outsiders to access to the remote areas, citing both environmental and political concerns.

U.S. outdoor school modifies coastal B.C. camping application following outcry

Carney returns to Canada from U.K. trip of meetings and rugby

The Conservatives have been critical of Carney's frequent foreign trips, saying that they aren't generating tangible outcomes and the prime minister should be more focused on domestic issues like crime and affordability.

Carney returns to Canada from U.K. trip of meetings and rugby

'Stand with us': Indigenous artists tapped by big companies for Orange Shirt Day

Non-Indigenous corporations and companies have also collaborated with Indigenous artists to develop T-shirts for the day, with proceeds going to Indigenous organizations.

'Stand with us': Indigenous artists tapped by big companies for Orange Shirt Day

Ottawa lists the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, as India ties deepen

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced the designation in a news release issued early Monday morning, saying it will help Canadian security, intelligence and police agencies.

Ottawa lists the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, as India ties deepen

Instagram's 'deliberate design choices' make it unsafe for teens despite Meta promises, report says

Meta’s efforts at addressing teen safety and mental health on its platforms have long been met with criticism that the changes don’t go far enough. Now, the report's authors claim Meta has chosen not to take “real steps” to address safety concerns, “opting instead for splashy headlines about new tools for parents and Instagram Teen Accounts for underage users.”