Continuous dry, hot weather has gripped the Nanaimo area and much of the province to kick off summer. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

hot hot heat

‘This level of heat is significant:’ hot weather grips mid island region

Jun 22, 2021 | 9:03 AM

NANAIMO — An early summer heat wave is a sign of what’s to come throughout the summer of 2021.

Temperatures flirted with 30 degrees on Monday, June 21 at Nanaimo Airport, while daytime highs are expected in the mid 20’s in the middle of the week before hitting 30 degrees Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Environment Canada’s Armel Castellan said warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the northeast pacific is signaling what the west coast can expect weather-wise this summer.

“It’s definitely feeding into our seasonal models. We have fairly high confidence that the likelihood of seeing temperatures above normal for June, July, August and even into September remains quite high.”

Castellan said the warmer ocean could be the third formation of what’s known as The Blob in the Pacific Ocean.

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Elevated temperatures and no precipitation in the extended forecast follows one of the driest springs on record on mid Vancouver Island, which Castellan said makes this current weather pattern that much more significant.

“When we start getting 10 degrees either above or below the seasonal average that’s where we start to say ‘yes, this is an anomaly, this is when we’re going to see daily temperatures being broken.’”

While some people love the heat, it’s at the point where it could put vulnerable populations like the young, elderly and those with compromised immune systems at risk, Castellan said.

“The ecosystem is definitely stretched and people’s own health. There’s very a much a wide spectrum of implications.”

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