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Richmondites sought relief from the record-breaking heat wave that covered the province with an unusual ridge of high pressure last week. It resulted in a record 32.1 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) on June 29—the highest temperature ever at Vancouver International Airport.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Richmond endures record heat

By Don Fennell

Published 2:13 PDT, Tue July 6, 2021

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Few things evoke conversation like the weather. And usually it’s because of extremes.

Common refrains include “It’s too cold” or “Will it ever stop raining?”

So in a region of the world known for “the wet stuff,” and where it rains an average of 15 millimetres each day over the course of the year, it’s understandable residents get excited when summer sets in and precipitation drops off to less than 80 millimetres for all of July and August.

But what Richmondites—used to fairly temperate conditions throughout the year—and residents throughout the province experienced during the first week of this summer was far beyond normal. In fact, the record-shattering heat wave that blanketed British Columbia last week produced new highs here, there, and everywhere.

The mercury reached a sizzling 30.1 degrees Celsius on June 27 at Vancouver International Airport—not only the highest figure ever on that date, but on any date since record keeping began. But the new mark didn’t last long, eclipsed by more than a degree-and-a-half on June 28, and again at 3 p.m. the following day when the temperature reached 32.1 (90 Farenheit). With relative humidity at 45 per cent, it felt more like 39 degrees, and southeasterly winds of just eight kilometres per hour did little to help cool the air. Lytton, a desert village in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon, topped out at a sweltering 49.4 Celsius (121 Fahrenheit) on June 29—establishing the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada, and eclipsing the previous record of 45 degrees in Yellow Grass, Sask. in 1937.

Not only did last week’s highly unusual ridge of high pressure create a solid dome of sunshine over our province, but it arrived at the end of June. While normally fine weather can be expected, the temperature rarely goes much above the 20 degree Celsius mark. At times last week’s scorching heat was close to unbearable—and potentially dangerous. Safety precautions were frequently issued, and people were encouraged to check up on family, friends and neighbours and those with medical conditions. As well, schools in the district were kept closed.

Based on the forecast, predicting daytime highs to range from 29 to 38 degrees over several days, the City of Richmond proactively issued an advisory on June 25. The release offered suggestions for relief from the heat, and even included a detailed map indicating the location of water fountains and other places offering shade and/or comfort. It also suggested enjoying the air conditioning at one of the city’s four libraries or viewing the work of local artists at the Richmond Art Gallery.

Richmond also established four temporary shelters as respite from the heat, with plans to keep them open until the end of September.

But if there was any good timing for a heat wave it was now, said local farmer Bill Zylmans of W&A Farms.

“Of course this is unprecedented, but luckily strawberries are about finished and Richmond doesn’t grow raspberries. For vegetables, as long as you have a good supply of clean water we will get through this. For us the timing could not be better for a heat wave. Crops are growing, and for most vegetables and potatoes and pumpkins it will be O.K. The important thing of course, as I’ve said in the past, is that the municipality really supports agriculture irrigation infrastructure.”

We may have to get used to extreme weather more often though. Experts say global warming and the effects of climate change are to blame.