Sure would be a welcome change for a few days. There is plenty of cloud in the forecast but not a whole lot of moisture until Monday. It depends how far the front to the south of us reaches up here. Hopefully we’ll get enough to at least take the fire danger down a notch to High from Extreme in the Valley.

I was interviewed by Shaw a couple days ago, you should be able to see me on Shaw TV starting today or tomorrow on the Daily. Don’t laugh too much! :D

Well, yesterday the Airport only reached (ha!) 31C… so that’s not heatwave material!

That means our little heat wave will go down in history tied for 4th along with 1908 with 9 straight days over 32C.

Here’s how the two heatwave breakdown side by side:

4th Longest Heat Wave of 1908 ———- Heat Wave of 2008
August 13, 1920: 34.4C ———- Saturday, July 25, 2009: 34.4C
August 14, 1920: 33.3C ———- Sunday, July 26, 2009: 35.0C
August 15, 1920: 33.3C ———- Monday, July 27, 2009: 38.5C*
August 16, 1920: 35.6C ———- Tuesday, July 28, 2009: 39.8C*
August 17, 1920: 37.8C ———- Wednesday, July 29, 2009: 40.0C*
August 18, 1920: 41.1C ———- Thursday, July 30, 2009: 36.6C
August 19, 1920: 37.8C ———- Friday, July 31, 2009: 33.8C
August 20, 1920: 36.7C ———- Saturday, August 1, 2009: 34.4C
August 21, 1920: 33.9C ———- Sunday, August 2, 2009: 35.2C

It’s worth noting that that heatwave in 1908 featured the 2nd highest temperature recorded alltime in Port Alberni. Our 40C temperature was likely in the top 10 or 15 all time temperatures but I haven’t gone into the records to look for sure.

It was certainly a hot week and 2 days! It will be nice to get a little relief and maybe even a little rain in the next couple days to cool the forests as well.

We might not have set the All Time record ever for Port Alberni in this heat wave, but there is still one record to shoot for… and at least it can be a little less unpleasant. :) As I’ve mentioned in previous postings, Dave Jones of Environment Canada has been quoted in the AV Times as using days over 32C as being a “heatwave”. The most days on record in the Alberni Valley over 32C is twelve, August 4 to 14 1920 at the original Beaver Creek station.

UPDATE: With a high of at least 35C at the Airport, today (Sunday) we tied the 4th longest heat wave set in 1908 at 9 days. We look good to move up to #3 tomorrow.

Record Heat Wave of 1920 ———— Heat Wave of 2008
August 4, 1920: 33.9C ———————— Saturday, July 25: 34.4C
August 5, 1920: 35.6C ———————— Sunday, July 26: 35.0C
August 6, 1920: 34.4C ———————— Monday, July 27: 38.5C*
August 7, 1920: 35.6C ———————— Tuesday, July 28: 39.8C*
August 8, 1920: 37.8C ———————— Wednesday, July 29: 40.0C*
August 9, 1920: 37.8C ———————— Thursday, July 30: 36.6C
August 10, 1920: 35.6C ———————– Friday, July 31: 33.8C
August 11, 1920: 35C ————————- Saturday, August 1: 34.4C
August 12, 1920: 38.3C ———————— Sunday, August 2: 35.2C^
—-
August 13, 1920: 36.7C ———————— Monday, August 3: 31C^^ END OF THE HEATWAVE
August 14, 1920: 34.4C ———————— Tuesday, August 4: 30C**^^^
August 15, 1920: 35C ————————- Wednesday, August 5: 26C**

* All Time Record for the Day.
** Forecast
^ Tied for 4th Longest (1908)
^^ Tied for 3rd Longest (1981)
^^^ Tied for 2nd Longest (1967)
As you can see.. we’re still within striking distance.. but we would need the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday to change in order to match the record, it’s also worth noting that the past couple days have been 2 or 3 degrees cooler than expected, especially in town, where I didn’t even break 30C on Friday.