Previous record highs are expected to melt away Thursday as residents across the province continue to bask in warm sunny weather.

Coastal areas of Vancouver were on pace to meet the record high of 16.1 degrees set in 1941, while inland temperatures across the region are slated to smash that figure, reaching a peak of up to 21 degrees Thursday, according to Environment Canada.

The average maximum temperature for Vancouver on March 31 is just 11.4 degrees while the minimum is 4 degrees, according to the national weather service.

Pitt Meadows is forecast to edge out its high of 20.8 degrees set in 2013 Thursday, Hope is set to hammer its 12.6 degree record, and Abbotsford could come within a degree of its 22 degree high set in 1987.

Meanwhile, records are slated to fall across the north Thursday, with all-time highs in Williams Lake, Prince George, Smithers, Prince Rupert, Dease Lake, Sandspit, and Fort St. John, among other locations.

Temperatures on Vancouver Island and through the Okanagan and Kootenays are forecast near record highs.

Sunny weather is expected to continue into the weekend for much of the south coast, but rain clouds are forecast to blanket some cities by Sunday.

mrobinson@vancouversun.com