More heat records in B.C., but rain is forecast

Several British Columbia cities boasted the warmest temperatures in Canada on the weekend as summer-like weather persists across most of the province, but Environment Canada says a change is coming.

Daily maximum temperature records were set in 25 B.C. communities on Sunday, including in Port Alberni, the provincial hot spot at 26.3 C, where a 115-year-old record was shattered by three degrees.

The weather office says other records for the day were set along the south, central and north coasts, and through the central Interior and southeastern B.C.

Many regions of the province have had no rain in October and no significant precipitation since early July, prompting severe drought conditions, but forecasters are calling for showers and possible snowflurries in Fort Nelson by Friday.

Rain is also expected on the south coast Friday and the weather office says the change could cleanse smoky skies that have prompted air quality advisories across the Peace and Similkameen regions, Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley.

Wildfires in southern B.C. and Washington state, as well as a large blaze in northeastern B.C. that has been burning since the end of August, are blamed for causing the murky skies.