After a very wet spring, July saw incredibly hot and dry conditions. Environment Canada meteorologist Natalie Hasell says the month of July typically sees 66 mL of precipitation; this year saw just over half with 37 mL.
Hasell says the dry season is mainly accredited to an area of high pressure with high temperatures, and a cycle of dryness begetting more dryness.
“A lot of it is coincidence. Trends kind of start if an area hasn't received a lot of precipitation for whatever reason. The next storms that go through don't have access to local moisture, will not be as large over that area, and therefore might not produce as much precipitation as maybe some area nearby or some area further away.”
“Typically, these areas of high pressure, also called ridges, do not produce a lot of precipitation. Typically, they don't even have clouds. So, when you're under these conditions, you don't see anything produce precipitation.”
There are safety considerations people should be aware of; Hasell warns that fires are a big concern when dealing with extreme dryness.
“It's really important for people to pay attention to what their activities outside are. No flicking cigarette butts out your car window as you drive down the highway. If you are camping and you have a campfire, make sure it's always attended. Make sure it's completely out before you leave. Remember that some human-based wildfires are from things like sparks off of ATVs or train tracks.”
She also reminds pet or livestock owners to change out their animal's water as the water can dry up or become too concentrated resulting in poor water quality.
There are also concerns regarding how we get precipitation after a dry spell. Hasell says when the ground has crusted over from the dryness, it can’t absorb any water until it has worn through the crust.
“You will have a lot of runoff before you have any absorption. So, the risk of flash flood is more significant after long periods of dry conditions. So we want the precipitation, but we don't want it all at once. What would be best here would be gentle showers for several days to break that crust, and then the soil will be able to absorb whatever comes.”
With the risk of flash flooding comes reminders to not drive through washed out roads and be aware when around large pools of moving water.
“Remember where your children are. If they're very young children, they've probably spent their lives jumping into puddles, and this might just look like a really big one, but it could end up being a really sad story. So please pay attention to where your children are and keep them away from washed-out roads, ditches, culverts, potential sinkholes. Moving water or running water can knock you over pretty quickly. Slightly deeper moving water can pick up your car, so avoid these places in vehicles as well.”
With potential thunderstorms expected, Hasell reminds people to practice storm safety.
“Lightning strikes don't just go straight down from a storm. They can travel sideways. So, if you can hear thunder, you are at risk of being hit by lightning.”
“Some of these storms coming could be severe. So, we're now also talking, therefore, about dust and damaging hail and heavy rain, not just the fact that we have lightning. So, take shelter. Make sure that you have a plan. Make sure that the people around you know what the plan is. And there'll be somebody taking photos. It doesn't have to be you. So instead of taking pictures, take shelter.”