Nearly a year ago, flood waters inundated swaths of south-western British Columbia. Mudslides destroyed sections of highways and swollen, turbid rivers washed away houses and bridges. Now, the region has the opposite problem: months of drought have begun to take a toll on what was once dubbed Canada’s “wet coast”. And as unpredictable weather events become a hallmark of a changing climate, experts warn that the two events are linked – and that a culture of overconsumption and poor resource management threaten to further amplify the effects of the current crisis.
Lack of rainfall prompts low water situation in Upper Thames Valley watershed
As London enters its third heat warning of the year, the Upper Thames Valley watershed is facing a low water situation due to a lack of rainfall. The lack of rain has prompted a level one low water situation with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. Between June 15 and July 15, the watershed only received 17mm of rain — a mere 22 per cent of what is considered normal precipitation levels for that time of year.