It was a record setting day in Manitoba Wednesday.

Natalie Hazell with Environment Canada says temperature records dropped across the province when the mercury climbed above 30 degrees. In fact, at over 31 degrees for Steinbach and Winnipeg, it was the hottest October day since records were first kept in the late 1800s. Other areas that set records were Emerson (30.9), Brandon (30.9), Carberry (30.8), Carman (32.2), Berens River (28.3) and Norway House (23). Hazell says "actually the hotspot yesterday was Portage. Portage reached 32.8. For Portage the record was set in 1943 as well at 29.4 so 32.8 is really, really warm. In fact not only was it the hotspot for Manitoba but it was also the hotspot for Canada. So everybody was paying attention to what was happening in Southern Manitoba yesterday that's for sure."

Hazell explains what is generating these temperatures. She says there is a ridge off to the east and a low pressure system coming in from the west. "At the ground we have winds from the south and that's tapping into really warm temperatures from the States. And aloft we had winds from the southwest and the combination of those two things brought us these very warm temperatures."

The trend for heat will continue Thursday, according to Hazell. The forecast high is 28 degrees and she says that means more records could fall. "For Winnipeg, the record was set in 1879, so just after station data started being taken and that was 30 degrees and for Emerson record values for October 6th set in 2004 at 28.3." Hazell says "if Emerson or Steinbach reaches 28 degrees it would be very close and if it goes just a little bit warmer than that, then you might actually break a record in the Red River Valley near the border sometime today as well."

A change in the weather will come for the weekend. Hazell says the low pressure system is moving towards the east. "As the low is to the west of us, we'll continue to see this flow from the south but the moment the low is past, because the circulation around the low is anti-clockwise when the low moves off to the east of our region, then we'll be under the influence of the other side. So the winds will be from the north or from the northwest, and therefore with this shift in the wind, will start to bring in air from the north which is typically colder and drier and we will see our temperatures here change." Forecast highs will be in the high teens over the weekend and into next week. Hazell says that's still warmer than the normal for this time of year which is 13 degrees.