22-07-06, 02:35
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Just keeping this HOT TOPIC hot and here are some fights about who's got the hot spot record  :  ... Ma Yappy
Quote:
Heat wave hits B.C. South Coast and Interior
Updated Fri. Jul. 21 2006 11:52 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Temperatures are soaring in southern and central British Columbia, with no signs the heat wave is going to end any time soon.
The mercury is expected to stay in the high 30s into next week in places like Kamloops, Kelowna, Grand Forks and Creston, according to Environment Canada.
In Canada, there are fears the hot, dry weather could spark forest fires. Kamloops fire information officer Jeanne Rucker of the B.C. Forest Service calls it a recipe for a potential disaster.
Earlier in July, dry weather and lightning proved a lethal combination, prompting an early start to the forest season with 550 fires recorded.
Many farmers have also been affected by the hot, dry weather, which has severely hurt crops.
"We have seen a drought before but this is a worst-case scenario," Irmi Critcher, president of the B.C. Grain Producers Association, told the Vancouver Sun.
Meanwhile, B.C. Hydro is confident that the electrical grid will be able to handle the increased demand.
Elisha Moreno of B.C. Hydro said "British Columbians are very energy conscious and don't use as many air conditioners" as in Central Canada or California.
In the United States, a heat wave that has taken hold across much of the country is being blamed for at least 20 deaths in 10 states.
They include Illinois, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana, South Dakota, Tennessee, Kansas and Wisconsin, according to The Associated Press.
The forecast for Friday suggested that relief could be coming.
Heated rivalry
The temperatures in B.C. aren't far from the record of 44.4 degrees Celsius recorded in 1941 in Lytton and Lillooet -- the hottest temperature ever recorded in B.C.
That has sparked a long-standing rivalry between the two towns over which is Canada's so-called hot spot.
To prove its point, Lillooet built its own weather station, which it keeps under lock and key.
But a few years ago tempers ignited when Lytton's sign designating it as "Canada's Hot Spot" ended up in Lillooet.
"It actually had a couple weeks holidays on our provincial lawn, but the RCMP made us take it back," said Christ'l Roshard, mayor of Lillooet.
Lytton Mayor Chris O'Connor has documented this debate with pride.
"I tell them the only way that they actually can become Canada's hot spot is when we annex them, and make them part of greater Lytton.
Despite the debate, it turns out the title for hot spot goes to Midale and Yellow Grass, Sask., which hit 45 degrees Celsius back in 1937
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