2-hour wildfire evacuation notice issued for some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods
A wildfire evacuation alert for some Fort McMurray residents has been updated to a two-hour evacuation notice.
The dry, hot and lack of precipitation is just the beginning of what the summer could look like in Canada, one expert says.
Dave Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment Canada, says the lack of rain this spring has created dry conditions that are causing issues for farmers and sparking wildfires.
"Really, the story is ‘Canada dry’ from coast to coast," Phillips told CTV's Your Morning on Thursday.
The lack of precipitation will continue into the summer, says Phillips, predicting the current high temperatures and dryness are just a "dress rehearsal," and the wildfires are part of the "pre-run."
In his view, Phillips doesn’t see any change coming soon.
"Typically the weather gets into a blocking situation where it just doesn't move, it just stays put, it's getting stale day after day," he said.
According to Phillips, the only areas that have seen consistent wet weather are Yukon, northern B.C. and parts of the Northwest Territories. But across the southern parts of Canada, it has been "bone dry."
"Some places in southern Alberta, southern Manitoba, you haven't seen this (lack of rain) in over a century: a consistently dry February, March, April, May and into June," Phillips said.
Although there has been flooding in some communities, including the Ottawa-Gatineau area and in Gaspé Peninsula, Que., the precipitation came so fast that the earth did not have time to absorb it, Phillips said.
"What you want is a balance of life, you want a balance in weather, and we need moisture right now to balance things off," he said. "Now we're going to a moisture deficit."
To watch the full interview click the video at the top of this article.
A wildfire evacuation alert for some Fort McMurray residents has been updated to a two-hour evacuation notice.
Saskatchewan RCMP are set to provide an update on what the service calls a 'significant' sexual assault and internet child exploitation investigation.
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.