Many areas of north and central Nanaimo received a welcomed dash of rain on Saturday, July 31. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

Drought bout

Nanaimo’s drought officially continues despite rain during August long weekend

Aug 3, 2021 | 4:14 PM

NANAIMO — Many areas of Nanaimo felt its first drop of rain in months over the August long weekend, but none fell where it mattered most.

The Environment Canada sensor stationed at Nanaimo Airport recorded no measurable amount of rain on Saturday, July 31, as many areas of the city were covered in an at-times consistent stream of morning showers.

This means the record for longest period in Nanaimo without rain will continue, reaching 49 days as of Tuesday, Aug. 3.

“There was a couple traces of rain mid-month and again on Saturday but not enough to actually tip the sensors into measurable precipitation,” Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan told NanaimoNewsNOW.

The Nanaimo region saw the driest July on record, survived an unprecedented heatwave in late June and had one of the driest springs of all-time.

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In addition to no measurable rain to fall at Nanaimo Airport last month, it was also the third hottest July locally on record, Castellan said.

“To live through something as dramatic as what we saw in late June, so early in the season, really has us scratching our heads,” he said.

“It’s not something historically you’d want to see and now we’re seeing it attributed to climate change. Heat events of that nature, let alone extended periods in the summer without rain, is a reality and what we’re expecting to see more of in the future. It’s incredible to think that these historic events are something which might become commonplace.”

There’s little reprieve in the forecast, beyond a small chance of rain on Thursday, Aug. 5, which won’t be enough to counteract the effects of extended bone-dry conditions.

“Will we see a few drops of rain here and there and temperatures dipping down? Probably, but the overall trend seems to be similar. Whether we will ever see anything like we saw in late June and early July remains such an anomaly it would be very difficult to forecast that in even the short-term, let along the long-term.”

Castellan warned another round of hot temperatures are expected for a few days around Aug. 11.

— with files from Ian Holmes

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spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt