‘We are nowhere near where we should be,’ says SaltWire weather specialist

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Much of Newfoundland and Labrador is in desperate need of rain, says SaltWire meteorologist Allister Aalders.

“There's no doubt that the month of July has been dry,” Aalders said. “We are nowhere near where we should be.”

A fire advisory is currently in effect in the St. John’s region, according to a news release from the St. John’s Regional Fire Department.

“All open fires are banned until further notice including chimineas and fire pits,” the release stated. “In the meantime, SJRFD are asking people to be fire safe when using propane firepits and barbeques, to keep a hose or fire extinguisher handy and follow manufacturers' requirements regarding clearances from combustible materials.”

Read more UPDATED: St. John's fire department issues fire advisory banning all open fires in metro region ALLISTER AALDERS: More heat and humidity follows round of rain

UPDATED: St. John's fire department issues fire advisory banning all open fires in metro region

ALLISTER AALDERS: More heat and humidity follows round of rain

On Sunday, July 17, reports of a brush fire just after noon sent firefighters with the Conception Bay South Fire Department (CBSFD), provincial forestry crews and a waterbomber to Upper Gullies.

That fire quickly developed into a much larger forest fire and off-duty firefighters were called to assist, SaltWire Network photojournalist Joe Gibbons reported.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to a representative of the CBSFD.

The systems moving into the province have generally been weak, or the fronts associated with them don’t carry much moisture, Aalders said.

“We really haven't had a chance to receive much rainfall,” he said. “Factors such as the jet stream ridging further north during the summer months, helps keep those weather systems further away from parts of eastern Newfoundland and really much of the Maritimes has been dry.”

The Bermuda high is a semi-permanent area of high pressure which migrates between the Azores islands in Portugal, where it stays over winter, and Bermuda during the summer and into early fall, Aalders said.

“It’s an incredible steering mechanism for weather systems in the North Atlantic and the eastern half of North America,” he said. “It controls the flow of the overall jet stream. And this is often when … (it) brings in this very hot and humid airmass that we are starting to see in some areas, especially in the Maritimes, we’ll be feeling by Thursday.”

It acts like a big gear, steering the weather systems, helping to push jet streams further north and not allowing many weather systems to track directly overhead.

“When we get this kind of hot, humid airmass, we sometimes get thunderstorms, and we think, ‘Oh, maybe we'll get a bit of rain out of them,’” Aalders said. “However, lightning can also lead to forest fires, especially if it's extremely dry.”

“Thankfully, we’re getting the rain here in Halifax today (Tuesday) and it’s on its way to Newfoundland and Labrador,” he said. “Rain does develop across Newfoundland and Labrador throughout the day, then tonight and into Wednesday.”

It will be parts of the west and south coast, however, getting the most rain.

“Personally, I am a big fan of sunshine,” Aalders said. “Looking out the window today and seeing all the clouds and there’s a bit of fog in the harbour, I wish it was a brighter day. However, I also realize that we are in desperate need of some rain and it’s certainly welcome.”

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