**** Info via Environment Canada
Several weather extremes in different regions in Canada
Significant weather extremes are happening in different regions of Canada. The Prairies are currently experiencing heavy rainfall over 3 days, causing flooding in many areas. Nunavut and northern Quebec have had a significant two-week warm spell, and the Saguenay region, in Quebec, have experienced very high rainfall over the last 3 weeks, causing a major landslide in La Baie.
High rainfall in the Prairies
Southern Alberta and central Saskatchewan received 70 to 120 mm of rain over the last two to three days, causing some flooding. Such amounts come back every 10 to 25 years on average, depending on regions. Usually, cities do not have the drainage capacity for events like these, so urban flooding can occur. On Monday, the City of Calgary declared state of local emergency in response to the heavy rainfall as a precautionary measure in case of flooding.
The rain is caused by a large low-pressure system that formed in Montana early Monday. The system spreads about 800 km, and is expected to move out of the Prairies late Thursday.
Warm spell in Nunavut and Northern Quebec
Since the beginning of June, parts of Northern Quebec and Eastern Nunavut have experienced daily temperatures 6 to 10 degrees above normal. Certain regions in Nunavut have even set daily temperature records. This recent warm spell is due to a persistent high-pressure system bringing plenty of sunshine and warm air from the south. Some places in the north have even witnessed temperatures higher than in southern Canada.
Such high temperature anomalies (difference from normal) are uncommon in June compared to the winter. Winter temperatures tend to vary a lot more, with temperature anomalies that can fluctuate by 10 to 15 degrees, whereas those in summer usually do not vary by more than 5 degrees.
Wet spell in the Saguenay region, in Quebec
The last three weeks have left three times the normal amount of rain over the Saguenay region, causing extensive flooding in many localities, and a major landslide in town of La Baie.
