Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Break Rainfall Records
Numerous rainfall records were shattered in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley on Friday, with the Vancouver International Airport surpassing its previous record by a significant margin.
Vancouver International Airport received 43.2 millimetres of rainfall, marking a more than 60 per cent increase over the previous record set in 1912 at 26.9 mm.
The weather agency attributed the unprecedented rainfall to an unseasonably moisture-laden frontal system that brought much-needed rain to the south coast regions starting late Thursday evening, Aug. 14, and continuing through Friday, Aug. 15.
In addition to Vancouver, three other regions also broke decades-old records: Abbotsford recorded 55.8 mm (previous: 18 mm in 1999); Squamish saw 35.8 mm (previous: 14.4 mm in 1988); and West Vancouver experienced 80.6 mm of rainfall (previous: 38.4 mm).
Meteorologist Carl Lam from CityNews mentioned that the rain is expected to diminish over the weekend.
This record-breaking precipitation follows a dry period that brought scorching temperatures to the South Coast, prompting multiple heat warnings in the Lower Mainland less than a week ago.
— Adapted from reports by Amy Beeman.