WINNIPEG, Manitoba - This western Canadian city, nicknamed Winterpeg for its bitterly cold winters, is baking under the summer sun and facing its driest June and July on record, Environment Canada said Wednesday, and regional crops are showing signs of stress.
Winnipeg, the capital of the Prairie province of Manitoba, has not received any rain in July and benefited from only 29 mm (1 inch) in June, down from the month's normal 90 mm (3.5 inches).
It is too soon, however, to call the situation a drought, cautioned David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
The government agency has been monitoring weather conditions in Winnipeg since 1939 and recorded the city's driest June and July in 1974 when 49.8 mm of rain fell.
"It's even drier outside of Winnipeg. That's quite serious," Phillips said.
Temperatures in the area have also been above normal, causing some canola crops in the region to abort flowers, which prevents the plants from forming the seed pods that are harvested.
Canola is a variant of rapeseed and is crushed to make vegetable oil. Canada is the world's largest producer and exporter of the crop that can also be used to make biodiesel, an emerging renewable fuel.
Concern about the hot, dry conditions buoyed canola futures contracts at the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange earlier this week. Environment Canada forecast temperatures in Winnipeg will reach 35 C (95 F) on Wednesday.
Although the Peace River region in northern Alberta is also in need of rain, Phillips said most parts of the Prairies have received timely moisture amid higher than normal temperatures.
"The crops are at a very critical stage right now ... the next two weeks are going to be very, very critical," Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration climatologist Aston Chipanshi, said about the dry regions.
Although the first 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) of soil is drying out in these regions, Chipanshi said there is ample subsurface moisture.
Story by Marcy Nicholson
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
