British Columbia: The end of summer in B.C. has been marked by record rainfall over the weekend, bringing both challenges and benefits. The heavy rain has significantly reduced the wildfire risk, with fire danger ratings dropping to low or very low across southern B.C. This has raised hopes that the campfire ban could be lifted in time for the Labour Day long weekend. More rain is expected early in the week, but it will dry out and warm up towards the weekend, with daytime highs reaching the upper 20s, though overnight lows will be quite cool, ranging from 8 to 12 degrees.
The rainfall helped decrease the number of active wildfires in the province from 340 to 312 over the weekend, with only three new fires reported in the last 24 hours. Some regions have already lifted their campfire bans, such as the Cariboo Fire Centre and the Prince George Fire Centre.
Seventeen B.C. communities, including Vancouver, White Rock, and Abbotsford, broke rainfall records on Saturday. Agassiz, for instance, recorded 57 mm of rain, surpassing its previous record of 36 mm for August 24. Despite the rainy weather affecting the PNE, the fair is offering a 50% discount on admission from August 27-29 to encourage visitors, though tickets must be purchased in pairs.