LOCAL NEWS, DELIVERED DAILY. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get the top stories sent straight to your inbox every evening.
Expect clear skies and warmer than normal temperatures throughout the summer months on Vancouver Island, with forecasters saying things will be hot and drier than normal. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)
long range forecast

No heat domes, but warmer and drier summer than normal expected in Nanaimo

May 28, 2026 | 10:27 AM

NANAIMO — Expect the warmest months of the year to be a little bit hotter this year.

Forecasters with The Weather Network say their long-range projections are calling for a warmer and drier summer than normal for Vancouver Island and much of B.C.

Meteorologist Rachel Modestino said there’s a strong warm signal through different forecast models, with unseasonably warm temperatures through the spring expected to ramp up further into June, although the news is not all bad.

“There are some small droughts that have been noted through April for some southeast parts of the Island including Victoria, up the Malahat, and into the Comox Valley. As we enter the summer, we’re in a generally better place than we have been the last couple of years.”

A series of high-pressure systems are expected through the summer months over the Pacific Ocean, acting as a shield from more unstable, cooler weather conditions.

While Modestino said there will be periodic breakdowns of the pattern, allowing some rain and temperature relief through, the overall pattern calls for clear skies.

The Nanaimo and Oceanside areas have already set a number of temperature-related records through the spring, with Nanaimo breaking long-standing records on three consecutive days in early May.

Modestino does not anticipate any major heat dome events, meaning extended periods of temperatures well above normal.

She said forecasts suggest more of an ebb and flow between normal and warmer daytime highs.

One area abroad forecasters are looking closely at is the typhoon season throughout Asia.

Forecasts suggest it will be an extremely active season for those in China, Japan and Korea, with ripple effects for Vancouver Island and B.C.

Modestino said energy from those storms can reverberate northeast towards North America.

“We’re going to be closely watching the typhoon season as well and how that could interrupt our pattern across British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Typically it reinforces our high-pressure system, causing them to be a little bit stronger and last a little bit longer.”

— with files from Jon de Roo, 97.3 The Eagle

Follow us on Facebook. Join Everything Nanaimo on Facebook and stay connected with everything happening on central Vancouver Island.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook