Get out those kiddie pools, Alberta — it looks like our prairie province is in for a summer of hot, dry weather.
Accuweather predicts western Canada is in for a very warm summer. In fact, they are calling for a higher number of days this year where the mercury will climb above 32 C in cities such as Calgary and Edmonton.
“For most of the prairie region, we are looking at a warm season relative to normal; more days above 30 degrees than we usually see,” Brett Anderson, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, told the Calgary Herald.
The warm weather will likely lead to a spike in afternoon thunderstorms along the eastern prairie region and Rocky Mountains, and could even cause instances of flash flooding in areas like Banff National Park, the weather agency said in a blog post Wednesday.
Because Alberta's past winter was so mild, Accuweather says the Pine Park Beetle population has likely thrived, instead of being killed off by cold temperatures.
The hot weather, beetle infestation, and dry lightning strikes will, combined, significantly up the risk for wildfires, which have already proved problematic in Alberta so far this season. The fire risk in much of the backcountry already ranges from moderate to high due to dry conditions, wind and rising temperatures.
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