Local Community Advertising
The threat of lightning hitting Kelowna has been a looming rumour for the past month and a half.
BC Wildfire crews have been keeping a close eye on weather conditions in order to be prepared for increased wildfire activity, should lightning strike.
Lightning is in the forecast for Saturday and with it, a minimal amount of rain might fall.
There's also a slight chance of rain on Sunday, but nothing to write home about.
Overall, the big concern is lightning and where it might strike.
This has been an exceptionally dry season. Kelowna is one day away from breaking a record for having longest number of days without rain ever recorded.
Kelowna's drought started on June 29th, 2017 and if no rain falls by midnight on Friday, it will be tied for the longest recorded stretch - 44 days without rain.
The longest recorded period without rain in Kelowna happened in 2003, the year of the Okanagan Mountain Fire.
Between June 23rd and August 5th of 2003, the valley was completely dry.
This year's drought started on June 29th and if by Sunday, August 13th at 12 a.m., the valley has still seen no rain, it will have been a record-breaking year.
"If we still have no precipitation by midnight tomorrow night, then we will be breaking that record," said Cindy Yu, meteorologist with Environment Canada.
"We are tracking a cold front coming through tomorrow night (Saturday). At this point it looks like as early as tomorrow, late afternoon, there could be a risk of thunderstorms. So that might bring some precipitation but that's not for certain," said Yu.
According to Kevin Skrepnek with BC Wildfire, the winds are posing a concern for wildfire growth.
"In the interior we’re expecting a considerable increase in winds, possible lightning and any showers we see tomorrow in the Interior are going to be quite isolated and quite scattered," said Skrepnek.
FIRE FACTS:
-
There are 143 fires currently burning in B.C.
-
11 new fires started Thursday
-
Since April 1st, 966 fires have started
-
So far this season, 646,000 hectares of land have burned (More than double the size of Greater Vancouver)
-
This fire season has seen the second highest number of hectares burned in B.C. (Since 1958 when 855,000 hectares burned)
-
Since April 1st, $270.7 million has been spent on fighting B.C.'s wildfires
Local Community Advertising