Following some record-breaking days of rain in the past couple of months, the monsoon season has ended a week earlier than normal, and record-breaking heat is forecast.
Meteorologist Doug Lundquist with Environment Canada says record rainfalls occurred on May 21 and 22 and again on June 19, 20 and 24, but no records were set for overall amounts of rain for either month.
Storms following the downpours were very neighbourhood-dependent, so heavy rainfall in one small area of the Central Okanagan was not necessarily felt everywhere, he said.
However, he said normally the monsoon weather of June in the Okanagan ends by the end of the first week in July, and this year, it’s already ended.
That means the forecast for the long weekend is for temperatures in the 30s C, and it may even break the record for temperatures of 34 C to 36 C in Kelowna, depending on which day is the hottest.
Hot, dry weather is expected to continue until at least July 10 or 15, said Lundquist.
A strong ridge of high pressure is moving into the area from the south and he warned that it will be important to stay hydrated and to not leave animals or children in a parked car for even a moment.
Beyond that, he refused to speculate on what the weather will be like for the rest of the summer, saying it’s too far out to predict with any certainty.
jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
