The beach in Peachland could be packed this weekend as temperatures soar. (PeachlandNews.com file photo/Dave Preston)

by Dave Preston

Whether you boat, float, garden or just lay on the beach, the next few days in the Okanagan Valley just might make up for the sluggish spring weather B.C. had to put up with.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Friday morning advising that it will be so hot that temperature records could be broken all over the Southern Interior.

From the Fraser Valley to the Kootenays and from the North Thompson to the U.S. border, nothing but sun and heat is forecast until the beginning of the next week.

A high pressure ridge has settled over the province and temperatures in the Southern Interior are expected to range from the mid to high 30s.

Sometime Monday or Tuesday, the high pressure ridge is expected to collapse, allowing cooler air to settle over the province. Temperatures starting the middle of next week should return to more seasonal levels, around the mid-20s.

The hot, dry weather may mean a boost to the population on Okanagan beaches, but it will also mean an increased fire danger rating.

The majority of the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the Okanagan Valley, is under a campfire ban, which started at noon Friday. The ban covers all Crown land. In addition, the Regional District of Central Okanagan has also instituted a campfire ban, meaning no campfires are allowed from Lake Country to Peachland.

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