The temperature is going to ratchet up in Estevan in the days leading up to Canada Day, but as hot as it will be here, we're not likely to get any sympathy from other parts of Western Canada. In fact, quite a bit of the region will be even hotter than we are.

Environment Canada is predicting a powerful heat wave will settle in over not only much of Western Canada but the midwestern United States as well for the final week of June. In some places, the temperatures will get above 40 degrees Celsius, but it might not get quite that hot in southeast Saskatchewan. 

"All of Western Canada will be affected by this big block of heat, this big block of heat," said regional meteorologist Terri Lang, "that's building more over western parts of Canada, over British Columbia, that's where the most intense heat is going to be. They're looking at temperatures topping 43 Celsius on the weekend."

If the thought of that alone makes you sweat, don't worry, those kinds of temperatures aren't in the forecast for Estevan anytime soon. A milder version of that same heatwave is on the way here however, and will start arriving after this weekend. 

"We're looking at temperatures starting to get sort of in those warmer reaches," said Lang. "Probably still not in the category of heat warning. If we see heat warnings, it will probably be next week."

The hottest weather will start right around the time Canada Day begins, and may continue getting hotter through early July. In fact, once its arrived, that hot weather could settle in and make itself comfortable. 

"That ridge is not showing any signs of collapsing," said Lang. "But we'll keep an eye on it. These ridges, once they're built up to they extent they will be built up, they're kind of hard to erode. It takes quite a big weather system to make them leave."

Before the heat wave settles in, Estevan might get a little bit of rain tomorrow and Thursday. That would be welcome, because once the heat wave arrives, we won't likely see much rain for a while. 

"After (Thursday) it's looking quite dry," said Lang. "The ridges, what they do, you can imagine an upside-down horseshoe and all the weather systems go around and over top of the ridge."

Lang added this ridge was arriving earlier than is typical, as you don't often see heat waves like this on the prairies until the end of July and into August.