Atmospheric river causes heavy rain in Canada

A first group of Canadian Forces is now in British Columbia to assess and plan the need for relief efforts in the region.

The heavy rain that lasted for 48 hours caused great devastation as a result of floods and landslides.

– Between Saturday and Monday, there was more rain than usual for the entire month of November, says SVT meteorologist Diana Bajic.

A state of emergency has been declared in the province and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that hundreds of soldiers will be called in to help deal with the devastation.

Cars swept away

At least one person has died after a landslide swept several cars off a road near Pemberton. The search for more victims continues. Several highways in the area were closed and thousands of farm animals died.

SVT meteorologist Diana Bajic explains that the heavy rainfall is caused by an atmospheric river.

– It’s a narrow strip of very warm, humid air that travels from the tropics, in this case Hawaii.

The weather phenomenon can carry large amounts of water and is also called the “pineapple express” when it arises in the area around the Hawaiian Islands.

– Vast areas formed with heavy rain in a short time, says Diana Bajic.

followed by extreme heat

The floods follow a sweltering summer in British Columbia, with a record temperature of over 49 degrees.

John Clagg, a professor in Simon Fraser University’s Department of Earth Sciences, tells TT news agency that extreme weather and its consequences are linked and can be attributed to climate change.

Record temperatures this summer paved the way for intense wildfires. Clagg explains that scorched earth cannot absorb rain efficiently, causing water from heavy rain to quickly flow into flooded streams and rivers.