Red Deerians may want to jump in the water this weekend when some very hot temperatures will be sweeping through the region.

Kirk Torneby, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said daytime highs this weekend could be as high as in the 30C range and mid-30s especially for areas in southeastern parts of the province where heat warnings are already out.

“The warm air actually is going to extend a little bit further north, especially as we move into the weekend for many areas especially in the central part of Alberta as well. So it looks like the heat warnings that are currently out could extend a little bit further north and westwards throughout the day today and tomorrow,” he said.

Torneby said it looks like it will be a prolonged heat event especially in areas in southeastern Alberta, with the warmest temperatures happening this weekend.

“The Red Deer area for example, this weekend you’re looking at daytime highs somewhere around that 30-degree mark and the overnight low in around 14 or 15 degrees.”

And a longer duration of the event, he said, isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

“When you actually look at the record highs for this time of year, the record highs are anywhere from 33 to 37 degrees.”

He said he wouldn’t call it normal, but it’s also not rare.

“These heat events for a short duration – a couple of days – can typically happen a few times a year,” he said.

Torneby said the last time Red Deer was above 30C was on July 2nd of 2013 and the last time Red Deer was above 30C for two days straight was in July of 2007.

A three day stretch of those kinds of temperatures hit in July of 2012.

With the heat reaching a high this weekend, a break will occur early next week with temperatures going back down to the 22C to 24C range, he said.