More rain than average fell across much of Vancouver Island last month, a welcomed sign as an early-July heat wave has wildfire experts prepped and ready for any fire starts as conditions dry out. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

wet june

June rain offers some relief heading into July heat wave

Jul 3, 2024 | 11:25 AM

NANAIMO — June is typically one of the wetter months for Vancouver Island, and this year proved no different.

More than 58 millimetres of rainfall last month fell at their measuring stations at the Nanaimo public works yard, well above the average of 43.4 millimetres according to Environment Canada meteorologist Chris Doyle.

“That’s about 134 per cent of average rainfall for the month of June. The highlight was the 21 millimetres that was recorded on June 2, that beat a daily record that was set in 1962 of 17.5 millimetres.”

That puts last month at number 27 on the list of the wettest June’s on the mid Island since records first started being tracked in 1892.

Doyle said most of coastal B.C. saw higher levels of moisture last month, a welcomed sign to help improve drought conditions, and a far cry from last year when only 28.7 millimetres fell amid a hot and dry spring.

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He said the higher elevations across Vancouver Island received the most amount of rain.

“It was near to a little bit above-average for most of the low-lying areas communities in valleys, and then if you get up into the alpine and higher terrain, it was substantially wetter than average….probably 150 per cent of June’s precipitation up in the alpine, and closer to 100-110 per cent in the flats.”

The temperature was almost dead on average in Nanaimo for June, despite the cloud cover and rainfall, coming in around 19 degrees Celsius.

However, July is already shaping up to be much warmer, with temperatures expected to reach 29 degrees during the day by Thursday, July 4, and stay around there until the middle of next week, with temperatures overnight only getting down to around 16 degrees.

Doyle said they expect temperatures to be about eight degrees higher than Nanaimo’s average high of 22 degrees for this time of year.

“You do see temperatures just away from the Strait picking up into the mid to upper 20s, and even by Thursday afternoon, and then up into the upper 20’s low 30’s into Saturday and Sunday, and actually not much recovery on Monday. This pattern looks persistent, so above-average temperatures could extend well into the middle of next week.”

This week is expected to be the first major heat event of the summer, but Doyle doesn’t expect it to get as warm as the June 2021 heat dome, which he called a “real anomaly.”

The Coastal Fire Centre is preparing for the warm week ahead and changing conditions, after a slow start to the wildfire season due to a wet spring.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow