'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
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.