Call it a sign of a changing climate or a seasonal weather rarity, but some locales are going to receive a month’s worth of rain in a 24-hour period.
Environment Canada Meteorologist Matt MacDonald said northern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast are on a collision course with an intense storm, usually seen in the fall.
“This really looks more like a fall-type storm, it’s slow-moving, it’s rather intense, and it’s tapping into some tropical moisture,” said MacDonald. “This is the kind of system we see more in late September getting into October, so it’s kind of rare for this time of year.”
MacDonald added, “August is typically one of our driest months of the year, normal rainfall amounts for the entire month of August are typically around 40 millimetres.”
MacDonald explains the most likely route for this storm system.
“It’s quite variable, both on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, as you move your way further north (from Nanaimo) that’s typically where the heaviest amounts are expected,” said MacDonald. “Areas like Comox/Courtenay and then over into Powell River, those areas can expect 40 to 50 millimetres of rain.”
The storm system is expected to leave our area by mid-morning tomorrow.
