B.C. issues water advisory as drought conditions worsen
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18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"Not out of the woods yet," BC Wildfire Service warns of very dynamic fire situations
Tens of thousands of lightning strikes across British Columbia since Wednesday have created "a very dynamic" wildfire situation, with more than half the current fires started since the storms. Emelie Peacock, an information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, said a week of dry and hot weather combined with lightning led to many new fire starts. Since Wednesday, more than 35,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the province, Peacock said. Severe thunderstorm watches remained in place on Friday for a large swatch of the southern Interior and stretching to locations into the northeast. Above-seasonal temperatures, especially in the southern Interior, roasted many parts of the province earlier in the week, Peacock said. "So, we've certainly seen the southern parts of the province really come on board later in the season than we're used to, but the southern parts of the province are now fully in wildfire season," she said in an interview Friday. The lightning storms set off 65 new fires between Thursday and Friday, with some of them burning close to communities in the Interior, in the Fraser Canyon and on the Vancouver Island. There are about 130 active wildfires burning in the province. While she said the cooling trend and showers "are going to help us out," the province isn't "completely out of the woods yet." "We will likely see new wildfire starts, what we call holdover lightning fires," said Peacock, adding the holdover fires usually take several days to become visible. Residents who were rushed out of their homes by a wildfire near Peachland on Wednesday were allowed to return home. The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre said those at 118 properties were allowed to go home on Friday, a day after residents of about 380 homes were allowed to return. The centre said those in the 118 homes must remain on evacuation alert, although all alerts had been lifted for another 490 properties. The BC Wildfire Service said the blaze near Peachland has been classified as being held and is no longer out of control. The Nanaimo Regional District on Vancouver Island declared a state of local emergency because of wildfire burning on the north banks of Cameron Lake, about 60 kilometres from the City of Nanaimo. Homes on the north side of the lake have been ordered evacuated, while other nearby properties have been put on evacuation alert. The district said 289 properties were put on evacuation alert, while a few dozen were evacuated Thursday. Peacock said the fire, which is measured at just under a square kilometre in size and visible from Highway 4, is "burning aggressively" in terrain that is difficult to access. More than 40 firefighters and helicopters are working on the fire, and Peacock said Highway 4 is still open and unaffected. A wildfire south of Lytton, B.C., has been measured at just over 12-square kilometres in size and an evacuation order issued by the Lytton First Nation remains in place because of the blaze. The wildfire service says the fire is highly visible from Highway 1, and motorists are asked to use extra caution and be aware of their surroundings while passing through. While a cooling trend was coming for the province over the long weekend, Peacock said thunderstorm activity will continue in the North, and they will likely bring dry lightning. Peacock said people who want to get out and enjoy the long weekend are encouraged to check wildfire and driving information before they leave, as the wildfire situation is "very dynamic, and road conditions can change very quickly." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Summer in Canada steams ahead in August, with a few hints of fall
Welcome to August! This remains a toasty, humid, and sometimes stormy time of year for many communities across Canada. What's in store for your weather during the month ahead? Forecasters see summer rolling along as we head through August—but with some areas experiencing a few hints of fall, as well. Visit our for an in-depth look at the Summer Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more! August starts with a divided pattern across Canada We'll kick off the month with a divided pattern draped across the country. A brief period of cooler weather is settling into place across much of Eastern Canada to start August. Meanwhile, warmer-than-normal temperatures will dominate areas from British Columbia all the way through northwestern Ontario. DON'T MISS: Early August will also see a decent amount of rainfall pushing into portions of British Columbia and Alberta. Some sporadic rain could even fall across parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba where wildfires are currently contributing to poor air quality for large portions of the country. The eastern cooldown won't last long. We'll see above-seasonal temperatures quickly return to Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada as we enter the second week of the month. Variable conditions, warmth return for the second half of August Looking ahead to the second half of the month, warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected to dominate from Ontario to Atlantic Canada, as well as across most of B.C. However, we'll still see a few doses of cooler air interrupt the warmth. MUST SEE: Folks on the Prairies can expect more changeable conditions through the middle and end of August. Periods of hot weather will be interspersed with a risk for longer stretches of cooler conditions—a back-and-forth that may result in overall temperatures that average out closer to seasonal for the remainder of the month. Average temperatures will slowly begin to decline through August. Occasional doses of cooler air, episodes of dew and fog in the morning, and shrinking daylight hours will all combine to provide hints of fall as we progress through the month. Watching the tropics for potential hazards August marks a distinct uptick in tropical activity across the Atlantic basin. Forecasters largely expect an above-average season this year—and there are signs that the Atlantic will come to life close to schedule as a favourable pattern develops during the middle and latter portions of August. Anyone in Atlantic Canada should prepare for hurricane season well before any storms have a chance to threaten the region. Make sure you're prepared for potential flooding, evacuations, wind damage, and power outages. The remnants of tropical systems hitting the U.S. can even track into Ontario and Quebec, bringing a risk for flooding, high winds, and tornadoes across the region. WATCH: These simple freezer hacks will help you beat the heat Click here to view the video
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Power out again in Hay River, N.W.T., over generator issue
The Northwest Territories Power Corporation says it is once again trying to restore power in Hay River. The community lost power Friday morning due to problems with a generator, the power corporation said. By 11 a.m., it had begun restoring power to some parts of the community. The outage comes after a lengthy power outage on Wednesday, when temperatures outside reached more than 30 C. Earlier this week, Hay River was taken off Taltson hydro power for a three-week period so the hydro facility could undergo maintenance. The community is being powered by diesel generators in the meantime.
