Photo: Contributed

Environment Canada is watching for the chance of a thunderstorm Friday evening but says temperatures for the rest of the long weekend look to be better than first expected.

"We expect the development of some thunderstorms later this evening, some might be severe in some places, the outlook for the weekend might be just a smidge cooler (than it previously has been), but nice right through until maybe Monday, then there's another cold front," says Environment Canada Meteorologist Doug Lundquist.

The forecast for Friday night calls for mainly cloudy with a 70 per cent chance of showers in the evening and overnight with a risk of thunderstorms.

Temperatures on the weekend are expected to dip down a bit but should remain in the low 30's, "there is a chance for some wind maybe and perhaps another thunderstorm on Monday."

Lundquist says he's concerned about the lightning due to the high forest fire danger rating in most of the Kamloops Fire Centre.

"People need to be really safe out there when building campfires and the heat – it's still hot and people need to remain hydrated and safe from the heat."

Lundquist says it's critical that anyone who builds a campfire should take extra precautions to make sure the fire is completely out, especially on Monday because the wind could pick up and it wouldn't take much for an ember to ignite and spark a wildfire.

Lundquist also says the first part of August looks like it will remain warm but seasonable, "mid to high 20's, maybe a little warmer than average but not the near record-breaking temperatures we've had for the last few days."