![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() |
||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||||||||||||
Welcome MSC - Spokespeople Brochures Fact sheets Other Publications |
Communications Directorate
SUMMER 1997 WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS
Introduction Summer '97 had something pleasant for almost everyone in Canada. By every account, except agriculture, the weather in June, July and August was a vast improvement over the catastrophic floods, destructive hailstorms and frequent hurricanes of the past two summers. A long, cool, wet spring led to dry, sunny weather over most of the country. For example, between May 31 and September 1, 26 of 31 weekend days and holidays were rain-free in Toronto and Ottawa. There was also good news in the forests of Canada. This summer had the fewest number of forest fires and the second lowest area burned in 25 years. However, in many parts of Canada, farmers struggled through one of the driest summers in years. For a stretch of three weeks or more during the "dog" days of summer, many farming areas east of the Rockies went without any sustained rainfall. Temperature and Precipitation As for temperature, warm in the West and near-normal in the East sums up the summer of 1997. Nationally, Canada experienced the 13th warmest summer in 50 years. Nine of the last ten summers have been warmer than normal. The summer precipitation pattern was clear across Canada - very wet in the far west, Yukon and north, and dry from the southern Prairies to Newfoundland. For British Columbia and the Canadian Northwest, it was well within the top ten of the wettest summers in half a century. By contrast, Atlantic Canada and the northern forest areas of Ontario and western Quebec experienced their fifth driest summer in 50 years. On a global basis, temperatures at land stations around the world during June, July and August, as compiled by the U.S. National Aeronautical and Space Administration, showed that summer 1997 was 0.33° C. warmer than normal. It was the 19th consecutive summer with a warm anomaly. For the year to date, 1997 is shaping up to be similar to last year, and one of the five warmest in 132 years. A Reprieve from Summer Storms This summer was noteworthy for the relatively few number of severe weather events, and in marked contrast to the disasters that plagued Canada last summer. The only notable exception to a storm-free summer was the interior of British Columbia. On July 11, heavy rains combined with debris to clog sewers, causing floods and mud slides that resulted in more than $1 million in damages to homes and resorts and washed out roads in BC's northern Okanagan Valley. About a week later, a destructive hail and wind storm ripped through the orchards of the Okanagan. Almost all exposed fruit was slashed or knocked off trees. Damages were estimated at over a $100 million in what growers said was the worst storm in memory. And on August 6th, strong winds of 75 to 110 km/h ripped out dozens of majestic old trees in Kelowna's parks, causing damage of $2 million to marinas on Okanagan Lake. The storm damaged nearly half the 500 boats at the Kelowna Yacht Club. On two occasions this summer, there were winds gusts to 100 km/h in Chatham, Ontario. Residents were kept busy cleaning up debris from fallen trees and smashed building materials. BC's "Big Wet" Monsoonal rains that began in the fall of 1996 continued to plague British Columbia. From October 1996 to the end of August 1997, Vancouver, Victoria and Kamloops received more precipitation than any previous 11- or even 12-month period. Rain showers were generally heavy but brief. For example, July set a new high monthly rainfall record; most of that record total came from a single storm on July 8. On that same day, Henderson Lake on Vancouver Island recorded 194 mm of rain in 16 hours. Well-deserved sunshine and warmth finally arrived to the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island on July 11, starting nearly five weeks of summery weather. Unfortunately, it coincided with Vancouver's garbage strike. On the Farm For the second consecutive year, cool, wet spring weather delayed seeding across most agricultural areas. Some growers said it was the coldest growing season in memory with some grain crops still not in the ground on June 1. Many farmers had to re-seed their fields or plough them under and then revert to a quick growing crop like soybeans. Across the West, warmer conditions late in May allowed farmers to practically finish seeding by the first week of June. But in Manitoba, it was a different story. By mid-June farmers had yet to seed only about 2000 hectares of the more than 180,000 hectares in southern Manitoba inundated during the Red River flood. Hot, dry conditions at critical growing times made the summer difficult for many farmers. In some regions of the Prairies, the dry conditions were the worst in 10 years. Statistics Canada has forecasted that, due to the extremely dry conditions throughout July in the southern and central areas of the Prairies, a reduced acreage and lower yields will result in the largest drop in Canadian wheat production in nine years. Total wheat production will be down almost 23% from last year's record crop, but production of grains and oilseeds is still expected to be slightly above the ten-year historical average. Between July 18 and August 12, the Ottawa Valley was without any appreciable rain. Farmers in Renfrew County were forced to dip into their stored food reserves to feed cattle or to sell off their herd in order to make loan payments. Forage crops yielded only half of what was expected. September is being called the make it or break it month, before the traditional October 1st frost. However, on September 4, there was a general killing frost in central Ontario. Nova Scotia received less than 10% of July's average rainfall - fewer than 8 mm of rain in some areas - an all-time low. Irrigation ditches and farm ponds dried up and farmers were forced to plough up fruit and vegetable crops. Whereas farmers in large parts of Canada were faced with the first drought in a decade, BC farmers worried about root rot and mould, especially on raspberries and potatoes in the Fraser Valley. "No-Name" Hurricane Season So far this year, Atlantic hurricanes have been generally few and weak. By Labour Day, only four little storms: Ana, Bill, Claudette, and Danny had developed. Surprisingly, for a hurricane season that was to be active due to warmer than normal tropical sea temperatures, it has been the quietest in 15 years. So far! The Atlantic was free of tropical storms from July 20 to September 5. Scientists claim that the appearance of a strong El Nino and its prevailing westerly winds are cancelling out the effects of warm ocean waters by shearing off the tops of any disturbances that might begin to develop in the tropical Atlantic. All Smoke...No Fire The forest fire season in Canada began on an ominous note. In late May and early June, warm weather and frequent lightning strikes were responsible for a high number of blazes and hazardous fire conditions across northern Ontario and western Quebec. People in Timmins said that smoke from burning wood and smouldering pine needles had never come into town like it did this year. In Quebec's western timber and mining region, thick smoke blocked roads linking Abitibi and James Bay. About 1800 residents remained away from their homes as more than 100 forest fires raged during the second week of June. In June and July, hot weather left forest areas in the East extremely vulnerable to fire. However, the absence of lightning strikes kept fires to a minimum after the first half of June. Provincial authorities banned open burning and several logging companies suspended operations on several occasions. As of September 3, the Canadian Forest Service reported that there were 5,681 wildfires across Canada, only 2/3 of the 10-year average of 8,489 fires and the fewest number in 25 years of records. The area burned amounted to only 19 percent of the average, 502,223 hectares compared to the normal 10-year average burn of 2.6 million hectares. World Weather While the number of weather extremes was down in Canada, all over the world, there continued a run of extreme conditions and bizarre weather. Britain experienced almost the wettest June this century. Yet, the real problem has been that the last 27 months were the driest in the 230-year history of record keeping. In August, Britain almost recorded its hottest month ever, with temperatures at times rising above 30° C. By contrast, the South Pole has been experiencing the coldest weather since record-keeping began 40 years ago. The average South Pole temperature during July was -66° C, breaking the previous record of -64.2° C set in July 1965. Nineteen weeks of wet weather between April and July, caused some of the worst flooding this century in central Europe. The floods affected over three million people, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes. In eastern Germany, soldiers fought to save villages as dikes along the Oder River crumbled under flooding waters. Warm El Nino waters spawned several severe storms in central Chile in June, July and August. Rainfall totals were up to ten times the normal amount that the area usually gets in an entire year. Chile's northern deserts received more rain in June than what normally falls in 30 years. By contrast, and on the other side of the world, the El Nino ushered in an early beginning of the dry season to Indonesia. Forest fires charred huge areas, and haze forced cancellation of several flights. Droughts have also stricken the Philippines, other parts of southeast Asia and Australia. Heads Up to Fall and Winter Every month since April 1996, precipitation in the Great Lakes Basin has been up and water levels have risen. Environment Canada forecasts that water levels in some of the Great Lakes will come within 10 to 15 cm of their all-time record high water mark. Because the fall always brings the worst storms on the Lakes, property along the shore and inland will be especially vulnerable to storm surges. In recent months, a strong warm El Nino has emerged in the tropical Pacific off South America. As a result of the warm Pacific waters, Environment Canada has forecasted above normal temperatures in the fall for all of the country except Atlantic Canada where temperatures are expected to be seasonable. Given the current oceanic and atmospheric conditions and the projections from various models, strong El Nino conditions are expected to continue through the winter. Winter temperatures are expected to be milder than normal in western and central Canada, accompanied by below normal precipitation from the Rockies to the St. Lawrence Valley.
WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM SUMMER OF 1997
BRITISH COLUMBIA
ALBERTA
SASKATCHEWAN
MANITOBA
ONTARIO
QUEBEC
MARITIMES
NEWFOUNDLAND For further information: |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
Created :
2002-09-12
Modified :
2002-12-18
Reviewed :
2002-12-18
Url of this page : http://www.msc.ec.gc.ca
/cd/summer97_e.cfm ![]() The Green LaneTM, |