Skip to content

B.C. on track to break records for dry weather in May

Many communities have gone weeks without rain this month
12130370_web1_180531-BPD-M-white-rock
White Rock has been one of the driest places in B.C. in May. (Aaron Hinks/Peace Arch News)

It’s looking to be the driest May on record for many B.C. communities

“Province-wide we’ve been drier than normal just about everywhere,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Erven on Thursday.

“Many communities will be setting either the hottest May on record or within the top three.”

The driest places in B.C. have been in the Lower Mainland.

The weather station at Vancouver International Airport has seen just 1.6 millimetres of rain in May, compared with the month’s 65-millimetre average.

“It’s much much drier than normal and on track to set the driest May on record,” said Erven.

The only two times in the past 80 years where rainfall has fallen below 10 millimetres for the month was in 2015, with 4.2 millimetres and back in 1946, with 8.4.

READ MORE: 11 temperature records broken on Mother’s Day in B.C.

READ MORE: 9 temperature records broken across B.C. as warm weather continues

“Many of the communities [in the Lower Mainland] are less than 10 per cent of the usual,” Erven said.

White Rock saw just 4.8 millimetres, down from an average of 73.2 millimetres. It hasn’t rained a drop there since May 11.

Further out east, Abbotsford has seen just 20 per cent of its usual nearly 100 millimetres of precipitation.

Out in the Okanagan, Kelowna and Vernon received just half the rain as usual and mostly all one day; May 9.

“The majority of the rain that did end up on one day in particular – 17-22 millimetres [for most cities] in that one day alone,” said Erven.

“Vernon has only seen 23 millimetres over the whole month, and Kelowna saw just 22 millimetres.”

On Vancouver Island, Nanaimo received just 4.7 millimetres compared to its usual 54, while Victoria saw 8.8 compared to the usual 25.8.

The only places that were wetter than usual were up in the northwest of the province, including Terrace and Prince Rupert.


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.