Abnormal dryness and drought expanded across southern Ontario in July amid persistent hot, dry conditions.
According to the latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor, just over one-third (34%) of the agricultural lands in the Central Region – which includes both Ontario and Quebec – were being impacted by abnormal dryness or drought as of the end of July. That’s up from 20% at the end of June and just 1% in May.
As can be seen on the map below, southern Ontario abnormal dryness now extends from about the London area all the way across the Quebec border into Montreal, with a large area of moderate drought from east of Toronto to about Ottawa. Pockets of moderate drought of also now developed around Niagara Falls.
Ontario remained notably dry in July, with pockets receiving less than 40% of normal precipitation resulting in continued worsening drought conditions, the monitor said. Severe drought areas expanded, and a new extreme drought pocket emerged in the north near the Manitoba border.
Southern portions of Ontario and Quebec generally received less than 85% of normal precipitation, with portions of eastern Ontario particularly had-hit, receiving below 40% of normal monthly precipitation.
Despite near-normal monthly mean temperatures, the Central Region experienced “significantly warm days,” resulting in heat stress in some crops, the monitor said.
Although the July dryness allowed for quick progress on the Ontario winter wheat harvest, corn and soybean crops have become quite stressed in various parts of the province.
