Perfect weather ... if you like it hot and dry
We had 30 mm of rain in July, about 60 fewer than average
Finding the summer dryer than usual? You’re not alone.
Gerald Cheng, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, said St. Catharines/Niagara saw only 30 mm of rain for the month of July, in comparison to the about 86 mm it usually gets.
Cheng said the irregular weather patterns emerged in July. While June was average in terms of rainfalls and temperatures, Canada Day weekend brought on a heat wave which has carried over.
“It lasted a week for a lot of people, and after that, we just didn’t get enough rain so that was the second story that came,” Cheng said.
The lack of rain didn’t just affect the Niagara Region, Cheng said, attributing the forest fires in the northern part of the province to the dry weather.
The average temperature for July was slightly above seasonal, Cheng said.
“I think it’s just those particular events, the one around Canada Day, that just stuck out in people’s mind,” he added
Even though there was humidity, Cheng said it didn’t produce any major thunderstorms for the region.
“There were other parts of Southern Ontario where they did get some rain, but it’s just around the St. Catharines area that didn’t happen.”
Now, halfway through August, St. Catharines/Niagara is at about 24 mm of rainfall. The month sees 82 mm on average, Cheng said, adding that there’s still two weeks left to meet the quota.
“We could catch up, and thunderstorms are in the forecast,” he said.
As of Friday, Environment Canada called for a 60 per cent chance of showers on Tuesday and 30 per cent chance on Wednesday.
Cheng said a single rainstorm can add another 20-30 mm of water.
He added that the thunderstorms are similar to the unsettled pattens that began in July.
“You get a few days where the forecast will say chance of showers with a risk of thunderstorms and then after that you may get a few days mixed with some clouds or fair weather,” he said. “Now, we’re back into this pattern where we will get some showers for a few days, on and off, sort of unsettled weather.”