A rainfall record was set in Pitt Meadows on Monday as Metro Vancouver received its first significant soaking of the season.
Armel Castellan, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, stated that Pitt Meadows received 31.3 millimetres of rain, surpassing the 1980 record of 27.8 mm.
“I think people definitely noticed the rainy day in the Lower Mainland, it wasn't just their imagination. It was a wet day,” he said, highlighting it was the third wettest day of the year and the first significant rainfall for spring.
The North Shore experienced heavier rain with a rainfall warning in effect on Monday, but no records were broken. Mount Strachan in Cypress Provincial Park, for example, received about 45 mm.
Monday’s downpour was seen as “a step in the right direction” for B.C.’s ongoing drought situation, according to Castellan, but he mentioned it's not enough to predict what will happen with the drought this summer.
“Was (the rainfall) helpful? Yes. Does it have a big impact on the last two years? Probably not,” he said. Castellan also noted that B.C.’s South Coast is experiencing more precipitation than many other areas of the province.
“Areas like the Peace region and the northeast of B.C. where last year's massive fires are still burning. They’ve had very little rain or snow, so those places are worse off right now in terms of drought and the potential for drought going forward.”
According to Castellan, mid-April to mid-May is expected to be quite dry, with possible showers but no significant rainstorms.
“If we get into a really dry stretch, it just keeps putting more and more pressure onto the second half of May and of course into June, which are really the last efforts that we get from Mother Nature for rainfall before summer,” he said.
The forecast for the next week in Metro Vancouver includes some light showers, but no heavy rain, as per Environment and Climate Change Canada. Wednesday’s weather is expected to be a mix of sun and cloud followed by showers on Thursday and overcast skies on Friday. The weekend looks sunny with temperatures reaching around 13 C or 14 C.
Related
- ’Water apocalypse’ requires B.C. to return to natural solutions for flood and drought resilience, state experts.
- B.C. will offer $80 million to support farmers in dealing with drought.
- Rain warning for North Shore, snow warnings inland.
