B.C. adds 11 record-high October temperatures to growing list

More than halfway into a month that some are dubbing “Augtober” or “Octust” in B.C., nearly a dozen temperature records were broken Monday.

Data fromEnvironment Canada shows 11regions experienced a warmer Oct.17 than everrecorded, with the most noticeable difference reported in the central interior town of Mackenzie. With a high of 20.1 C, the area broke its 2018 record by 5.2 degrees.

Temperatures in both Dawson Creek and Port Hardy toppled previous records by more than 4 C. The new records in Bella Bella, Fort St. John and Nelson are more than 3 degrees higher than the previous ones.

The oldest, and most northward record broken was in Prince George, where Monday’s high of 21.6 C beat a 1922 record by 2.7C.

Only the Tatlayoko Lake Area, Vernon and Clinton reported a difference between records of less than 2 C.

Over the weekend, dozens more temperature records were broken across B.C., including two dating back to the 19th century.

The unseasonably warm weather does not appear to be confined to one region, with record breaking temperatures reported from Vancouver Island to northeastern B.C.

This month has seen the largest number of new wildfires sparked in October in at least 20 years, and a lack of rain has led to Level 5 drought conditions– the most severe on B.C.'s five-point scale – in many parts ofthe province.

A state of emergency has been issued in the Sunshine Coast, due to drought. British Columbians are bracing for rain and cooler temperatures, forecast to hit Friday.

Below is Environment Canada’s breakdown of daily maximum temperature records in B.C. on October 17, 2022.