Kamloops is expected to crack 30 C later this week

Photo: Brendan Kergin

You'll need to lather on the sunscreen later this week.

Environment Canada is calling for three days of hot weather in Kamloops very soon. On Thursday, the thermometer is expected to reach 27 C; Friday, a high of 31 C is in the forecast, followed by a high of 32 C the next day (Saturday).

"The hottest day of the week is probably going to be Friday because I’m thinking some high cloud is going to move in Saturday and may knock those temperatures down a few degrees," Environment Canada meteorologist Matt MacDonald tells Castanet. "Friday is going to be your day to hit the deck and fire up the barbecue."

Normal high temperatures this time of year peak around 23 C, he says.

However, sometimes late May brings the heat; the record for the hottest May 29 is 37.8 C, set back in 1897.

"There’s no way we’re even going to get even close to that, but we’ll take it," MacDonald says with a laugh.

It's important to cover up and put on sunscreen, he says.

"We’re talking about sunburns within a matter of half an hour, particularly during the peak sun hours, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m."

One thing to keep an eye on, he says, are thunderstorms over Friday and Saturday. Don't be surprised if Environment Canada issues a thunderstorm watch.

He notes this week's warming trend is a "three- or four-day wonder," with typical June weather returning next week. 

While the hot weather will be welcomed by many, MacDonald says it'll have an impact on freshet season and the "delayed melt." The North and South Thompson Rivers are expected to peak in the first or second week of June. A flood watch, meanwhile, remains in effect for the Bonaparte River which runs through Cache Creek.

"We’re not quite out of the woods there yet from a flooding perspective," MacDonald says.