Saturday was the hottest day of the year so far in Kelowna, Penticton, Kamloops

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The heat has returned to B.C. in a big way this weekend, with Kelowna, Penticton and Kamloops recording the hottest day of the year so far on Saturday.

The temperature hit a high of 31 C in Kelowna on Saturday, recorded at UBC Okanagan. This just edges out the year's previous high recorded on May 4 of 30.2 C.

Penticton saw temperatures reach 28.2 C, while Kamloops saw a scorching 32 C. Vernon meanwhile recorded a high of 30 C, which is just under the high of 30.3 C set on May 4.

Across the province, 18 heat temperature records for May 13 fell, including in Revelstoke. The city saw temperatures reach 30.3 C, just beating the previous May 13 record of 30 C that was set in 1949.

Despite the hot, hot heat, no temperature records were broken in the Okanagan.

The heat wave is expected to persist through to next week. Environment Canada's special weather statement remains in effect, warning of unseasonable hot temperatures through to at least Tuesday.

“Daytime highs will be 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above seasonal values while overnight lows will be 5 to 10 degrees above what is normally experienced this time of year,” Environment Canada says.

“While the developing heat conditions may result in daily temperature records being broken, it must be emphasized that the expected hot conditions will not approach those reached during the 'Heat Dome' of late June 2021.”

During that time, temperatures soared to the mid to high 40s across B.C.'s Interior. Lytton recorded the hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada at 49.5 C, just days before a wildfire tore through and decimated the village.