By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Red Deer heat records expected to fall over next three days

Aug 7, 2018 | 4:23 PM

Barring a change of heart from Mother Nature, all-time heat records could fall this week in Red Deer.

A heat warning is in effect courtesy of Environment Canada and that indicates she could mean business.

The all-time high for this month was recorded on August 30, 1940 when the mercury rose to 35 degrees Celsius. 

The hottest day ever in Red Deer was July 18, 1941, when it was recorded at 36.1 degrees.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for 31, the record being 31.7 in 1940.

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Thursday’s forecast is for 34 degrees, the record being 32.3 in 1991.

Friday looks to be the hottest of the bunch with a forecast 36 degrees. The record for that day is 32.4 which was set in 1983.

John Paul Cragg, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist, says there is an area of high pressure sitting over the prairies, while stagnant air is allowing for clearer skies, notwithstanding the smoke.

“With that we’ll have a predominant flow from the west and south over that time period,” he explains. “Both wind directions will bring warmer air into the Red Deer area and because of that we’re looking at increasing temperatures.”

Colder air will move in on Friday causing the temperature to dip to about 25 degrees, also bringing with it a greater chance of some precipitation.

That is welcome because as Cragg points out, rainfall over the last 30 days in Red Deer is about 60 per cent less than normal.

“It’s not just the daytime highs that will be making things feel warm. It’s also the overnight lows which will stay at about 15 degrees all the way through the week,” he says. “You combine those really warm temperatures during the day and not much reprieve during the night and you’ve got a pretty hot week ahead.”

Meanwhile, aforementioned smoke from wildfires in British Columbia has drifted Alberta’s way, for which Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Tuesday.

ECCC’s Air Quality Health Index has Red Deer currently at a 3, or moderate. That rating will jump to around 8, or high, overnight.