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Record Rainfall Hits British Columbia’s South Coast
Residents of British Columbia’s South Coast were greeted by a deluge of rain on Saturday, October 19. The Vancouver International Airport recorded a staggering 67.1 millimeters of precipitation, ranking it as the sixth-highest amount of rain documented on a single day at this location.
The historical record for the airport still stands at 91.6 millimeters, measured on September 18, 2004. However, the combined rainfall over the weekend, attributed to a powerful atmospheric river, reached 110 millimeters at the airport, marking it as one of the most intense weather events experienced there, according to Global meteorologist Kristi Gordon.
Several regions across the area experienced record-breaking rainfall on this unusually wet Saturday.
In Squamish, total precipitation for the day hit 67.7 millimeters, just edging past the previous record of 67.6 millimeters set in 2000. West Vancouver saw a significant increase as well, with a new record of 134.6 millimeters compared to the former record of 34.8 millimeters established in 1970.
Furthermore, Vancouver itself witnessed a new record rainfall of 67.1 millimeters, surpassing the old record of 59.7 millimeters from 1956. Pitt Meadows recorded an impressive 117.6 millimeters, breaking the previous record of 65.3 millimeters, also from 1956.
Additional Regional Records
The deluge did not stop there as the White Rock area recorded 77 millimeters, overtaking its former record of 37.1 millimeters established in 1956. Meanwhile, Langley set a new record at 117.6 millimeters, overshadowing the previous record of 42.9 millimeters, also set in 1956.
In Abbotsford, rainfall reached 82.1 millimeters, breaking the 1966 record of 59.2 millimeters. The Chilliwack area reported a new record of 89.1 millimeters, which surpassed the previous measurement of 72.6 millimeters from 1956. Nearby Agassiz matched this new record of 89.1 millimeters, overtaking the old record of 67.3 millimeters from 1956.
A remarkable 71.1 millimeters fell in Hope, surpassing the old record of 61.2 millimeters from 1934.
Even in the capital city of Victoria, the rain did not hold back. The area experienced a new record of 40.6 millimeters, slightly exceeding the previous measurement of 39.1 millimeters from 1956. In Nakusp, rainfall was recorded at 27.4 millimeters, just above the prior record of 26.5 millimeters from 2017.
This heavy rainfall has prompted discussions around the implications of such extreme weather patterns, emphasizing the need for preparedness in the face of climate change. As communities recover from the immediate effects of this storm, the significance of resilience in infrastructure and disaster response planning continues to grow.
Source
globalnews.ca