'No precipitation in the forecast for the foreseeable future': Metro Vancouver hits 40 days without rain
Metro Vancouver hasn’t seen a drop of rain since June 15, and it may not see any for a while yet.
“(There is) no precipitation in the forecast for the foreseeable future,” said Bobby Sekhon, meteorologist for Environment Canada.
“In fact, we just continue to build a ridge of high pressure next week and actually get some hot temperatures by the end of next week, but no rain.”
While summers are typically quite dry in Metro Vancouver, Sekhon explained it’s not usually something that happens this early in the season.
“It’s concerning that we’ve gone so long without rain,” he told CTV News Vancouver.
This is prompting fire concerns for local parks, as tinder dry conditions affect much of the Lower Mainland.
“We haven’t seen this kind of drought for a very long time,” said Tom McComb, park operations supervisor for Metro Vancouver Parks.
“Most of our parks right now are moving into extreme fire hazard,” he said. “We’ve asked all our visitors to be very careful in this kind of environment. Certainly no smoking, which is not allowed in our parks anyway, but to be extra vigilant.”
Barbecues and cooking are also banned in municipal parks in many cities in the region because of the dry conditions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial has fined him US$1,000 for violating his gag order and sternly warned the former president that additional violation could result in jail time.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreak spreads, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead
AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
WestJet, mechanics union agree to tentative deal to avoid strike
A potential strike between WestJet and its mechanics union appears to have been avoided.
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.