BC HydroB次元官网网址檚 power systems were operating at a break-neck pace earlier this week as a new record for peak summer usage was set.

At the height of demand on Monday evening, usage reached 7,851 megawatts with 1,142 of that coming from Vancouver Island, according to BC Hydro spokesperson Ted Olynyk.

The increase smashes the old summer record, set on Aug. 11, 2014, by almost 400 megawatts.

B次元官网网址淐ertainly weB次元官网网址檙e rivalling any record for peak consumption in the summer,B次元官网网址� Olynyk said.

Hydro data shows demand for power increased 12 per cent at that time. ThatB次元官网网址檚 equivalent to running seven Ruskin Generating Stations at full capacity, said the power company.

ItB次元官网网址檚 the second time this year that a hydro consumption record has been broken as the overall record was set again this winter B次元官网网址� on Jan. 3 B次元官网网址� with a peak hourly demand of 10,126 megawatts.

B次元官网网址淐ertainly when we see long periods of either above normal or below normal temperatures weB次元官网网址檒l see an increase of usage,B次元官网网址� Olynyk said.

Cool tips to help you save in the heat. Whether you like AC or fans, buy for increased efficiency:

B次元官网网址� BC Hydro (@bchydro)

Environment Canada meteorologist Matt Loney said moving forward itB次元官网网址檚 going to be hard to find times when the trend isnB次元官网网址檛 leaning toward the warmer side of things.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 fairly rare to get a below normal seasonal forecast,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淐ertainly youB次元官网网址檒l see runs of weather that are cooler than normal and we just had a two or three day hot spell, which is not abnormal in the summer, but generally speaking, when you get a seasonal forecast or a long-range forecast, thatB次元官网网址檚 anything more than two or three months in length, typically itB次元官网网址檚 warmer than normal based on 30-year normals.B次元官网网址�

And the weather is going to heat up again just in time for back to school.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got another late summer ridge building into basically the weekend and on into next week and so weB次元官网网址檙e expecting even higher temperatures, it looks like, for much of the South Coast, for the weekend and the early and middle part of next week,B次元官网网址� Loney said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going to be a very significant ridge where weB次元官网网址檒l see most likely more record-breaking temperatures, dry conditions, not favourable for fire suppression over on the Mainland, tinder dry late summer conditions going to continue beyond Friday,B次元官网网址� he said.