Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Drought, lack of rain, high temperatures and wildfires by the numbers in B.C.

VANCOUVER — British Columbia should be well into its rainy season, but instead, persistent hot and dry weather has created drought conditions. Here are some of the numbers connected with the drought: --- Recorded rainfall between July and Oct.
20221018131032-634ee3f00b2c974f64e8751ajpeg
A drought struck tree is seen growing on a parcel of land in the Cowichan Valley area of Duncan, B.C., on Saturday, July 31, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

VANCOUVER — British Columbia should be well into its rainy season, but instead, persistent hot and dry weather has created drought conditions. Here are some of the numbers connected with the drought:

---

Recorded rainfall between July and Oct. 18, compared with average rainfall:

Sechelt: current 9 mm, average 200 mm

Powell River: current 27 mm, average 192 mm

Fort Nelson: current 61 mm, average 182 mm

---

The B.C. government ranks drought levels from 0 to 5, with a 5 rating being the most severe with adverse effects to socio-economic or ecosystem values being almost certain.

5: The Sunshine Coast, all regions of Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, Fort Nelson, and north, south and east Peace regions.

4: Central Coast, Haida Gwaii, eastern Pacific Range and Kettle.

---

Wildfires

201: wildfires still burning in B.C.

50: new wildfires sparked since Oct. 11.

23.9: The percentage of wildfires confirmed that were human-caused.

---

Temperatures:

Eleven daily maximum high temperatures were set across B.C. on Oct. 17.

25.5 C: The high temperature in Dawson Creek, 5 C above the previous daily high, set in 2018.

21.6 C: The high temperature in Prince George, 3 C above the previous daily high, set in 1922.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2022.

The Canadian Press