Weekend nearly sets record

Records nearly fell this weekend before the smoke arrived.

Both Friday and Saturday neared record temperatures this weekend before smoke arrived and cooled the region. Kamloops hit 32.4 C on Sept. 11 and 32. 1 Saturday; in both cases they ranked third hottest ever.

In both cases Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan says the days "are not quite record breaking."

While 30 C does occur in September, usually, Castellan notes, there's only between one and two. So far this year the Tournament Capital already cracked 30 C seven times, and if the smoke from American wildfires hadn't blocked the sun yesterday, an eighth day was possible.

"There’s maybe a possibility of getting another 30 day," he says. "Depending on smoke conditions."

However it's getting less likely, he adds, as most hot days happen at the beginning of the month, and the smoke is holding back the sun.

"It can be a big blocker of short wave radiation from the sun," he says. "Now that the smoke is really coming in you're going to see the attenuation be quite a bit higher."

Environment Canada had expected a warm September this year.