(Unsplash photo)
Temperatures across the Ottawa Valley were roughly in line with normal values for the month of August, but Environment and Climate Change Canada says it was far wetter than usual for the region.
The agency has released its monthly weather review, saying the overwhelming majority of the province – including the Ottawa Valley – experienced temperatures close to normal during the month of August, aside from a portion of far northern Ontario that experienced slightly warmer than normal temperatures and a few small, localized pockets in the east and northeast that were slightly cooler than normal.
Temperatures reportedly dropped over the course of the month, as is typical as summer transitions into fall, but the agency notes that the first half of the month was warmer than normal on average while the second half was cooler than normal, especially the last week of August.
Precipitation, on the other hand, varied significantly: some places saw well over their normal amount of rainfall over the course of August, including the Ottawa Valley which registered between 175 per cent and 200 per cent of its normal rainfall value.
Elsewhere, especially to the north, August was extremely dry, with places like Kenora only experiencing 44 per cent of its usual rainfall for the month.
Ottawa, the closest city to the valley that Environment Canada provides detailed data for, experienced average temperatures about 0.3 degrees lower than normal on average, and saw 142 millimetres of precipitation, 180 per cent of its normal value.
In terms of significant weather events, the agency highlighted the severe thunderstorm that hit the valley and other nearby communities on August 12th, saying the rain and wind caused trees and hydro poles to fall and led to some residents’ basements flooding.
Looking ahead to September, the report says precipitation values are expected to remain higher than normal in southern, northeastern and northwestern Ontario, while temperature values are expected to remain near-normal everywhere outside of the far north, where warmer than normal temperatures are anticipated.
(Steve Berard)
