London, Ontario Smashes Rainfall Records in July 2023

Hold onto your umbrellas, London! This past July was one for the record books with an insane amount of rain hitting the city. The official stats are in, and Environment Canada reports a whopping 210 millimetres of rain poured down in July. That not only drenched the old record of 204.6 mm set way back in 1992, but also towered over the long-term average of 81 mm.

If you felt like a fish in a water parade, you weren't alone. Local residents were bailing out soggy basements, keeping lawnmowers extra busy, and watching rain barrels overflow like never before. Though there were long stretches of dry days, the bulk of the rain fell on just four days—a roller-coaster ride for anyone planning outdoor activities.

The tail-end of Hurricane Beryl brought a monster storm on July 10, dumping more than 50 mm of rain. But wait, there’s more! On July 15 and 16, another 100 mm came down, followed by a final deluge of 41.6 mm on July 30. These events were fueled by moist air masses from the Gulf of Mexico, giving southwestern Ontario its trademark hot, humid summer vibes.

Meteorologists refer to these as 'training storms,' where one storm follows another like boxcars on a train. Some storms even lingered, drenching localized areas while nearby regions stayed relatively dry. The Sarnia-London-Toronto corridor got the worst of it, epitomizing how summer rains can be hyper-localized. Just 20 kilometres away, people might have been wondering what all this fuss was about.

This extreme weather was definitely a mixed bag for everyone. While the heavy rain provided much-needed moisture, it also created problems for farmers and homeowners. Farmers prefer gradual, soaking rain to help their crops, while sudden, intense downpours can overwhelm drainage systems and swamps basements.

It’s too early to say if these unusual weather patterns signify larger climatic changes. But one thing’s for sure, July 2023 will be remembered for its record-breaking deluges. As we move into August, meteorologists suggest keeping those umbrellas handy—just in case Mother Nature decides she's not done with us yet.