From flash floods to drought: Canada's summer split by extremes
While Ontario and Quebec are receiving record rainfall, parts of coastal B.C. are experiencing one of their driest summers.
This summer, Canada was divided by water. Mississauga, Ont., received more rain in five minutes than Comox, B.C., had all summer. Let that sink in--because the rain certainly did.
While torrential storms have pounded Ontario and Quebec, resulting in flash floods and soaked streets, much of coastal British Columbia remains unusually dry.
On July 20, a rain gauge at Mississauga's Works Yard recorded 5.7 mm of rainfall in just 300 seconds. That was more than the 4 mm Comox received between June 1 and July 20.
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Residents on opposite coasts feel as if they are living in different countries.
Soaked streets and storm shields
Rain has fallen relentlessly in Quebec and southern Ontario.
On July 13, Montreal experienced a powerful thunderstorm that dropped 81.6 mm in a single day. Within an hour, 58 mm fell, resulting in flash flooding and turning streets into rivers.
Toronto, Ont., equally, had a soaking night on July 20, with 48 mm of rain.
Timmins, Ont., and Quebec City, Que., both had their wettest Junes on record, with totals exceeding 300 mm. In contrast, Winnipeg, Man., has received only 35 mm of rain this summer — barely enough to lift the dust.
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Meanwhile, western cities such as Victoria and Comox, B.C., are faring very differently.
This summer, Victoria has received only 19.2 mm of rain, which is less than Montreal received in an hour. And in Comox, the driest June on record has extended into a parched July.
One summer, two realities
A stubborn high-pressure ridge over Canada's West Coast causes the country's unusual rainfall divide. It has acted as a storm shield, pushing moisture east while keeping B.C.'s coastal regions in place.
As a result, while eastern provinces experience record-breaking rainfall, some western ranchers and communities are dealing with worsening drought.
The contrast is stark, and concerning.
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With more storm systems on the way for Ontario and Quebec and no clear relief for B.C.'s South Coast, the next few weeks could widen the gap.