On August 16, Environment Canada issued 10 consecutive high temperature warnings for B.C., and the maximum temperature is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius! Two more were released on August 17, bringing up to 12 heat warnings to B.C.!
Image source: Global News
Currently, the 12 areas in B.C. that receive heat warnings include Metro Vancouver, Central Coast Inland, East Vancouver Island, Fraser Canyon, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Kootenay Lake, North Coast Inland, North Thompson, Okanagan Valley, South Thompson, and Sunshine Coast.
Image source: Global News
Environment Canada said the heat was due to a strong ridge of high pressure that would lead to a new round of extreme heat waves. Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, including the Okanagan Valley, Fraser Canyon and the South Thompson area.
The maximum temperature in the Greater Vancouver region today will reach 35 degrees, and the Ministry of the Environment reminds the public to pay attention to the heat. The hottest time of day is from the afternoon to the evening, try to avoid staying in a sweltering and unventilated room.
During the heat wave from July 2 to August 3, there were 16 suspected heat-related deaths in BC.
Drought has occurred in many parts of Canada
According to the Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM), the Greater Toronto Area, including the cities of Mississauga, Brampton and Windsor, is rated "Abnormally Dry" (D0). Other surrounding cities such as Barrie and the City of London are defined as "Severe Drought" (D2).
Arid Meadows in Mi City Source: CBC NEWS
The Drought Monitor Canada uses federal, provincial and territorial data to grade drought levels in different regions. The system is a five-tier system that includes "Extreme Drought" and "Exceptional Drought" in addition to the levels mentioned above.
A prolonged drought in the City of Toronto and even in the Greater Toronto Area in late August could break the record for the least amount of rainfall ever recorded in August. Since August, only 18.2 mm of rain has been recorded at Toronto Pearson International Airport. According to data from 1980 to 2010, Pearson Airport averaged 78.1 mm of rain in august.
However, Environment Canada noted that the drought situation is expected to improve by the end of this month.
Europe is shocked by the famine stone
Drought in parts of Canada is just an iceberg of extreme heaven and earth, accompanied by continuous high temperatures, and recently, an unprecedented severe drought swept across Europe, and the water level of many rivers fell to an all-time low or even dried up.
As a result of the river's cut-off, the water level reached a record low, revealing huge rocks warning of famine, and on August 16, the "Stone of Hunger" appeared on the dry riverbeds of the Rhine and Elbe, with words warning of agricultural failure and famine inscribed on the stone: "If you see me, cry." "There are also some hungry stones inscribed on them: We have cried, we are still crying, and you will cry too.
One of the Famine Stones Image source: Screenshot of the Douyin video
These stones are used by people who used to make a living from shipping to mark low water level records on the center of the river or on large stones along the river to remind them that once the river runs out, the stones will emerge from the water, which also means that shipping has stopped, livelihoods have been interrupted, and practitioners have to go hungry.
The picture shows the Elbe famine stone in the Czech Republic, carved in 1616.
Image source: Euronews
Andrea Toreti, senior researcher at the European Drought Observatory at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, recently warned that Europe may suffer its worst drought in about 500 years.
The reason for the drought is the continuous high temperature in Europe, since July this year, many parts of Europe have suffered from continuous extreme heat weather, many countries have exceeded historical extremes, 40 ° C high temperature is not uncommon, the United Kingdom, known for its cool climate, issued the first ever national emergency high temperature red alert, portugal once set a record high temperature of 47 ° C.
The World Meteorological Organization recently pointed out that july this year was listed as the hottest july top three since the meteorological record, many places in the world broke the high temperature record, the long and strong heat wave affected many parts of Europe, and the high temperature and little rain in Europe in August are still continuing.
Under the "baking" of extreme heat and little rain, the latest data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO) shows that in mid-to-late July, 47% of the EU was in a "warning" state, and 17% of the land was in the highest level of "alert" due to drought.
Many rivers have been cut off
The water level on the Hungarian section of the Danube river has become so low that it is unnectable. Serbian authorities have begun dredging the river to keep it navigable. Large areas of Lake Velence near Budapest have been turned into dry mud patches where some small boats have run aground. To protect wildlife, authorities installed water recycling equipment, but water quality deteriorated.
Italy's Lake Garda has become record shallower, and its water temperature is now comparable to that of the Caribbean Sea. Some sections of Italy's longest river, the Po River, have very low water levels, with barges and boats that sank decades ago resurfacing.
Italian farmers farming along the Po River have fallen into panic, and today there is no water there to irrigate their fields.
The boat dock is stranded on the arid channel of the Val River
Image source: Euronews
Parts of the Loire in France have dried up almost completely and can now be crossed on foot.
The Rhine, Germany's important waterway, will reach extremely low water levels in the coming days. Authorities say that in the city of Kaub, located around the middle of Koblenz and Mainz, many large boats may have difficulty navigating the river safely.
The picture shows boats crossing the Rhine river, which exposes the riverbed
Image source: Euronews
The Met Office said the drought had also taken an impact on England. Last month it experienced its driest July since 1935. Less rain depletes reservoirs, rivers and groundwater, turning grassland brown, dry and flammable.
Millions of people in the UK have been banned from watering lawns and gardens. British farmers faced the problem of depletion of water for irrigation and had to give winter feed to their animals due to a lack of forage. The charity River Foundation says streams in England are drying up, endangering aquatic wildlife.
Even countries like Spain and Portugal, which have been accustomed to not having rain for long periods of time, have been hit hard. In Spain's Andalusian region, where some avocado growers have had to sacrifice hundreds of fruit trees to keep others from wilting, the capacity of the Binuela Reservoir in the province of Malaga has been reduced to 13 percent.
The consequences of the destruction of the environment may be just the beginning...