Heat warnings now cover all but the edges of B.C.

Heat warnings now cover all but the edges of the province as Environment Canada warns today could be one of the hottest in an ongoing heat wave.

Temperatures up to 40 degrees are forecast for parts of central and southeastern BC, including the Kamloops area, the Okanagan, parts of the Kootenays and the Fraser Canyon, where a wildfire continues to burn, unchecked, west of Lytton.

Heat in the mid to high 30's is expected in many other parts of BC away from the water and cooling centres have been set up in most communities because hot conditions by day, and little relief at night, have the potential to cause illness.

The BC Wildfire Service says all parts of B-C except Haida Gwaii and a portion of the north coast are now ranked at a moderate to high risk of wildfires, while a large area of the southeast fire centre is rated as an extreme fire risk.