This summer, Eastern Canada has experienced a particularly wet season, with Toronto breaking its record for the wettest summer ever. Global News Meteorologist Ross Hull shared that the Greater Toronto Area and Montreal have been particularly affected by the increased rainfall. Toronto Pearson Airport recorded 128.3 millimetres of rainfall in just one day, which is more than the average for the entire month of August. The region saw another heavy rainfall event over the weekend, adding to the already significant amount of rain that has fallen this summer. This comes after catastrophic flooding in Toronto less than a month ago, causing over $940 million in insured damage.
Hull reported that the west end of the GTA saw two month’s worth of rain over a single weekend. Toronto Pearson Airport has had its wettest summer on record, with close to 500 mm of rain so far, surpassing the previous record set in 2008. This summer has also seen two of the top 10 wettest days on record at the airport, including the July 16 rain event that caused significant flooding in the GTA. Montreal has also broken rainfall records this summer, with 153.8 mm falling on August 9, breaking the previous record by 60 mm.
The remnants of tropical storm Debby hit Montreal hard, leading to flooded homes and highways. Nova Scotia has also experienced flash flood events this summer, with heavy rain causing road washouts and evacuations in July. This summer’s floods have overwhelmed the infrastructure in many cities, as urban drainage systems and structures are not designed to handle such high levels of rainfall in short periods of time. The ground is also saturated, reducing its ability to absorb runoff from the storms.
Overall, Eastern Canada has been experiencing a particularly wet summer, with Toronto and Montreal breaking records for rainfall. The frequency and intensity of rain events this season have overwhelmed the infrastructure in many cities, leading to flooding, evacuations, and significant damage. The ground saturation has further exacerbated the impact of the heavy rainfall, making it difficult for the land to absorb excess water. The effects of this wet summer will likely continue to be felt as communities work to recover from the flooding and damage caused by the excessive rain.
