canada

Get ready for things to heat up this weekend.

Environment Canada has issued a special bulletin, with temperatures expected to hit the 30s in the Lower Mainland and the 40s in the Interior.

Most of the daily maximum temperatures will be set Monday and Tuesday. The hot spell should ease off by Wednesday with temperatures going down five to 10 degrees.

Metro Vancouver residents heading for ferry or border lineups this Canada Day long weekend may want to bring their sunscreen for those long waits.

Weather forecasters say it’s going to be a scorcher.

With temperatures expected to hit more than 30 C in some parts of Metro Vancouver and near 40 C in the BC Interior, it’s shaping up to be the first hot weekend of the summer.

Environment Canada forecasters say today and tomorrow will be a mix of sun and cloud, with highs of 23 C, but that will make way for sunshine and clear skies on Sunday and Monday, with temperatures on the coast hitting up to 27 C and 32 C inland.

The Weather Network is also predicting similar temperatures in the city of 27 C, but says the heat on the coast is going to feel more like 34 C.

The beautiful weather is expected to continue for the first part of next week, and then temperatures are expected to drop by mid-week.

Meanwhile, BC Ferries says the Canada Day long weekend is one of the busiest of the year. Drivers are advised that the most hectic times are between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday. Canada Day Monday is also expected to be busy between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. as holiday-makers return home.

As of Friday morning, there were no delays at the borders, but that is expected to change as many people leave work early to try and beat the rush.

Motorists hitting the highways this weekend should take note that there will be an increased police presence on the roads, as statistically the Canada Day long weekend is one of the worst for deaths resulting from intoxicated drivers.