WATCH: On the southern-most tip of Victoria, no rainfall at all was recorded in July. And while a bit of relief from the hot heat has moved over the island, experts say it won’t last long. And as Kori Sidaway tells us, the hot heat is part of an emerging pattern that has locals and environmentalists, concerned.
The grass on Victoria’s Gonzales Hill looks dry and it is.
According to meteorologist with environment Canada Armel Castellan “There has been zero point zero point millimetres of rain in July.”
It’s the first July in 34 years that the measuring station on top of the Gonzales lookout has recorded no drops of rain and experts say it may be a preview of the future.
“I mean this is really the fourth year in a row we’re talking about a level three drought on the Island. Which is different than we’ve seen in the past, whereas now we’re really seeing almost half a decade in the drought spectrum,” said Castellan.
And people in the community agree the heat and lack of rain has become the new normal.
“It seems very normal now, I’ve been here for 28 years and you know most summers are dry and it’s just come to be expected. It doesn’t seem out of the ordinary for me,” said One Victoria resident.
Castellan says this is the face of climate change.
In July B.C. was 2.5 degrees hotter than average, and the heat and dryness have become a pattern.
“We’ve left the 20th century in the dust in terms of a climactic ‘normal’. The 20th century wasn’t that long ago, and we haven’t seen those averages of that 100 year period in this 21st century,” said Castellan.
Summer is not ever yet after a slight chance of rain this weekend experts say to expect more heat for the rest of August.
Kori Sidaway
