Vancouver has seen 90% less rain than usual since July, and some B.C. cities have it even worse

In a typical year, British Columbia would be well into its rainy season by mid-October. Instead, cities across the province have seen a fraction of the rain they normally would by this time of year, and unseasonably warm temperatures have set records in the province on 10 of 13 days so far this month. 

According to The Canadian Press, the City of Vancouver sees an average of 165 millimetres of rain between July and Oct. 14. This year, the city has received just 16 millimetres – less than 10 per cent of the average.

The situation is even more dire in Victoria, where just two millimetres of rain have fallen since July. On average, B.C.'s capital sees 100 millimetres between July and Oct. 14.

It's a similar story in the Fraser Valley. The City of Abbotsford has seen 10 millimetres during the period in question, less than five per cent of its 222-millimetre average. In Chilliwack, where the average is 245 millimetres, just eight have fallen this year – about three per cent of the average.

Those figures help to quantify a drought that has escalated to the most severe rating on the province's five-point scale across several regions, including Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland, as well as several regions in northeastern B.C. 

In a Level 5 drought, according to the province, conditions are "exceptionally dry," and "adverse impacts to socio-economic or ecosystem values are almost certain."

On the Sunshine Coast, local governments are considering implementing a local state of emergency due to declining water supply. The Sunshine Coast Regional District said Friday that it is working to secure additional water supply for users of its Chapman Water System. 

The situation in Metro Vancouver is not as dire, but the regional district there has also warned of the need to conserve water because of the ongoing drought. 

Hot, dry conditions have also led to an increase in wildfire activity, relative to the norm for this time of year.

On Friday, crews were called to deal with a new blaze that sparked near Cypress Mountain Resort in West Vancouver. 

There were 201 active wildfires burning in B.C. as of Friday afternoon, with 11 of those sparked in the last two days, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service's online dashboard. 

With files from The Canadian Press