Ron Lakeman, with the Southeast Fire Centre weather services, has issued a release confirming what most people in the Kootenays probably knew: July was hot and dry.
In fact, readings at West Kootenay Regional Airport reveal it was the warmest July since 2007.
Only 35 per cent of the normal amount of rainfall, 18 mm compared with a normal of almost 51 mm, was received. The high temperature exceeded 30°C on 18 of 31 days.
There were only four days in July that had measurable rain. The most significant of which fell on July 17 when 14 millimetres came down (70 per cent of the monthly total).
The warmest temperature recorded, and a new record for that day, was 38.3°C on July 2.