For once Port Alberni wasn’t the rain capital of the country… nor Prince Rupert (which actually holds that title for Cities in Canada last I checked). No, today it was Vancouver. At YVR they received over 45mm of rain. Not only is that a record for this day. It’s a record for the entire month of August and it’s the most rain that has fallen in one day, on any day of any month, since 2005. Impressive.

The reason for the extreme amount of rain was apparently the northwesterly flow that associated with it.. that would have brought the stuff right down the Straight and onto the Lower Mainland. The main moisture itself though generated many days ago, in the Phillipines. This isn’t unusual this time of year, as we often get systems that start as storms or hurricanes in the Western Pacific, then curve up the coast of Asia towards the Aleutian Islands then back down the West Coast of North America to us…. this is similar to how Atlantic hurricanes that head up the US East Coast (like Danielle, and soon Earl) often end up hitting Iceland or Ireland and the UK… it’s just a little longer journey across the Pacific.

On that note, there is a very rare event happening right now near China, Japan and the Korean Peninsula, three tropical storms are all within less than 1000km of each, and if you look at them in animation (click the little movie camera), they are actually interacting with each other. It’s very active over on that side of the Pacific.

Here’s the proof:


Currently Typhoon Kompasu is the most likely storm to make the long treck our way, but who knows if its remnants will get here.

In other news. The campfire ban will be lifted on Wednesday at Noon! Hooray! That means campfires, tiki torches, and fireworks, are all permitted for the Long Weekend. See you at the Port Alberni Salmon Festival Fireworks on Friday night!

I’ve been listening to the wind in the trees tonight… sure feels like fall doesn’t it?

We should get a decent bout of rain tonight and into tomorrow. I already see it on the radar making its way down the Island. There is a silver lining though! If we get a good shot of rain it might just mean that the campfire ban could get lifted in time for the Labour Day Weekend (as it has in a number of regions around the province over the past few weeks). Plus it will also mean hopefully that the fireworks planned for the opening of the Salmon Festival on Friday night will go ahead!

They are still calling for a pleasant 25 degrees for Friday so that’s pretty darn nice for Salmon Festival which is often on the rainy side. Later this week I’ll see if I can dig up the stats going back a few years for Labour Day weekends to see how we stand in the grand order of things.

In the meantime, pull in the cushions from the deck so they don’t get wet! :)