Drought concerns easing due to lopsided Vancouver Island rainfall

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Drought conditions in the central and southern interior remain around levels three or four with high water scarcity levels as wildfires continue to burn out of control in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and surrounding area. (Image Credit: B.C. Drought Portal)

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With a mean temperature of 18.7 degrees Celsius and 107 per cent of our usual precipitation, July 2026 was on par for an average month of Nanaimo weather, despite a few days of record-breaking high temperatures.

Compared to Comox and Campbell River, where each community received 183 per cent of their regular rainfall last month, 43.6 and 60.6 millimetres respectively, with the mean temperature right around average for both communities.

Western Vancouver Island is currently at drought level zero, down from level two in June, with most areas of northern B.C. reporting similar conditions.

Proctor said there are a few reasons for the discrepancy in weather conditions from one side of the island to the other, with geography and the time of year playing a big part.

“The mountains on the island help to give us a bit of a rain shadow on the east side, and the precip wasn’t as substantial as it would be if it was a November or December kind of storm when that moisture would have been able to surface on the east side of the island. It was the outer coast of the west side of the island, and the northern tip of the island that took the brunt of all that precipitation.”

Looking ahead for the rest of the summer, Proctor said their weather patterns are predicting less rain and slightly above-normal temperatures into the fall for much of eastern Vancouver Island, from Nanaimo up to Campbell River.

“Which means the forest fire hazard out there that we’re seeing is not going to. It’s probably going to worsen a little bit as we move through August before we get into September.”

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