EDMONTON - It was Edmonton's hottest day of the year Sunday, and Edmontonians took advantage of the weather - hitting festivals, block parties, spray parks, and just basking in the sun.
According to Environment Canada's website, the city hit 30 C for the first time in 2012, far higher than the 23 C seasonal average.
While Edmonton stayed below the record of 32.2 C for this date set in 1964, on Monday we're expected to beat a 31.7 C record set that same year, with the mercury potentially reaching 34 C. And a high-pressure ridge is expected to keep the city under a hot spell all week.
Kyle Williams-Lemos and Jenna Emmerling spent the day enjoying the heat at the legislature grounds. And they weren't the only ones.
"It was really busy," said Williams-Lemos, clad only in his swim trunks, his shoes in one hand, shirt in the other. "People were on the lawns, in the pool, all over."
While some Edmontonians might be eagerly awaiting the end of the heat wave, Williams-Lemos isn't one of them.
"I wish we could have more. This is what I look forward to all year."
But for residents outside the city, the high temperatures might bring dark clouds with them.
Severe thunderstorm watches were in effect Sunday for areas north of Edmonton, with heavy downpours, hail and wind possible in Slave Lake, Westlock, Barrhead, and Athabasca.
The heat is also unlikely to offer relief for firefighters attempting to gain the upper hand on 20 wildfires - two out of control - burning in northwestern Alberta.
The province's largest out-of-control wildfire nearly tripled in size.
Tankers, helicopters, bulldozers and 65 firefighters were at a 1,026-hectare blaze southeast of La Crete, 700 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, which grew from 425 hectares the day before, according to Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
Although Alberta Health Services has issued an air quality advisory for the area because of the smoke, no evacuations have been ordered and no buildings are in danger.
The province's largest wildfire sits at 12,226 hectares, near Zama City, 960 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
With files from Gemma Karstens-Smith and Global News
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