A dominant "thermal dome" over western Canada caused record temperatures on Sunday that prompted severe heat alerts in three provinces and two regions close to the North Pole.

More than 40 heat records were set in British Columbia over the weekend, mainly at the Whistler ski station.

Leighton, in British Columbia, now holds the record for the hottest temperature in Canada, with a record 46.6 degrees Celsius, according to Environment Canada.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Canada was 45 in two cities in Saskatchewan on July 5, 1937.

It is expected that the high atmospheric pressure that traps the air in the region will record new record levels during the week.

The Environment Agency in British Columbia and Alberta and in some areas of Saskatchewan, Yukon, and northwest regions have issued heat alerts.

She explained that "a long wave of dangerous and unprecedented heat will continue throughout the week."

The authority added that "the temperature will reach about 40 degrees in some areas in the middle of the week," meaning ten to 15 degrees above the normal rate.

"In some parts of western Canada, the temperature is higher than in Dubai," said David Phillips, the agency's chief climate scientist.

Shops have run out of air conditioners and fans, while heat centers have been set up in cities to keep people cool and hydrated. Coronavirus vaccine campaigns have been canceled, and schools are closed. 

Electricity consumption in British Columbia has reached very high levels.

On the other side of the border, the US National Weather Service also warned of a "dangerous heat wave," particularly in the Northwest Coast states of Washington and Oregon.

The wave is expected to continue through the week.