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It has been 44 days and counting since the last drop of rain was recorded at Environment Canada’s weather station at YVR.
The record for no measurable rain at the airport is 58 days, set in 1951, while the current heatwave surpassed the 1950 mark of 42 days, to become the fourth-longest since records began for the region.
What it all boils down to (no pun intended), is tinder-dry, drought-like conditions across Richmond, with many parks and trails closed due to an extreme risk of fire, as well as a ban on barbecues and stoves and restrictions on the use of propane.
Heat warnings have been issued by Environment Canada and the B.C. government with temperatures expected to peak today (Thursday) and Friday in the low to mid-30s away from the water.
It won’t be anything like the record-breaking heat at the end of June, when the mercury rose past the 40-mark, but it’s still expected to cause issues and will be even intense is Lower Mainland cities further from the ocean.
There is some rain forecast for next Wednesday, Aug. 4, which would be a welcome relief for what would be 49 days without precipitation by then.
The City of Richmond, although not setting up specific cooling centres, is inviting people to use its air-conditioned facilities, such as local community centres, libraries and the Richmond Cultural Centre.
In addition, four outdoor tents have been set-up at Paulik, Steveston, Dover and McLean parks and misting devices have been installed at Britannia Shipyards, Minoru Centre for Active Living, West Richmond, South Arm, Garden City and Thompson parks.
Residents are being advised to log onto Richmond.ca/heat for more ideas on how to stay cool during the latest heatwave.
The extreme heat is predicted to last until at least Saturday, July 31.
"Extreme heat is dangerous and can have devastating and deadly consequences," said Adrian Dix, B.C.’s Minister of Health.
"Health authorities and BC Emergency Health Services are preparing to assist people in need during the heatwave.
“British Columbians must also make any necessary preparations ahead of time and take steps to ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones."
Why do we have so much water?
You may be wondering why, given this near record-breaking dry spell, the regional watering restrictions are still at stage one, the lowest rung in the ladder?
Well, it’s all to do with the massive snowpack the region built up over the winter, which filled our reservoirs to the brim, right up to the end of June.
“We were very fortunate this year to have a really good snowpack coming out of the winter and we were able to capture the snow as it melted,” Marilyn Towill, Metro Vancouver’s general manager of Water Services, explained to the Richmond News.
“So we started off our summer with all our reservoirs full and they were still full until the end of June. It’s only been since early July that we’ve seen them drawing down.”
Towill said, with the recent hot weather, there’s been an obvious rise in demand but people do seem to be sticking to the lawn watering restrictions and reducing the amount of times they wash their cars.
“If we do continue to get that compliance, we do expect to be fine through the rest of the summer and fall,” she added.
Towill said that, once the reservoirs stop receiving any appreciable water, the region is “really dealing with a finite source.
“We have a pretty good sense of what demands will be and we can gauge whether we need to go up a stage.”
She said the difference between now and 2015, when Metro Vancouver went to the highest stage of restrictions, was a very low snow pack over the winter.
For more information on how to save water this summer, go online to WeLoveWater.ca.
