So we just landed in Vancouver last week, and it's rained every day since we got here. Might as well be back in Scotland.

What do you mean? It didn't rain today, and yesterday was nice. Before that, yes we did get several days of rain, but for several weeks before that, it was rather dry. Look at all the big trees here, they are only kept alive by a temperate climate with plentiful rain. If you think it was rainy over the last week, just wait until winter.

Boring statistics.....but just to compare average annual rainfall totals for argument's sake:-

London 593mm 23.4 inches
Manchester 848mm 33.4 inches
Edinburgh 678mm 26.7 inches
Glasgow 1082mm 42.6 inches
VANCOUVER 1509mm 59.4 inches

i know what you mean. weve been told here in NS that expect it to be a cooler and wetter summer but a glorious fall. whats going on with the weather?????

Those rainfall numbers for Vancouver are very misleading because it depends on what part of Vancouver your are referring to. In North Vancouver I believe they get more like 120 inches of rain/yr., but in White Rock or Abbotsford it's more like 40-45 inches/yr.

Here are the actual figures:

(As Measured by Environment Canada Weather Stations in the Lower Mainland)


AREA

PRECIPITATION (Inches/Yr)


Burnaby/Capitol Hill
76"
Burnaby/SFU
76"
Burquitlam
68.9"
Delta/Ladner South
34.6"
Delta/Pebble Hill
35"
Delta/Tsawwassen
36.2"
Delta/Tsawwassen Beach
33.8"
Ladner/Monitor Station
37"
Mission
64.2"
Mount Seymour
108"
New Westminster
62"
North Vancouver/Capilano
78"
North Vancouver/Cleveland
90.4"
North Vancouver/LynnCreek
106"
North Vancouver/Upper Canyon
102"
Port Coquitlam/City Yard
75"
Port Moody/Gulf Oil Refinery
74.4"
Richmond/Steveston
40.3"
Richmond/Airport
43.8"
Surrey/Kwantlen Park
60.5"
Surrey/Newton
56"
Vancouver/Dunbar
51"
Vancouver/Kitsilano
53.8"
Vancouver/Kerrisdale
51"
Vancouver/Harbour
60.6"
West Vancouver/Dundarave
70.9"
West Vancouver/Millstream
94.9"
White Rock
43"

http://www.teristeele.com/community.htm

It looks like Delta/Tsawwassen Beach wins.

The rain was one of the reasons we didn't choose Vancouver - both of us originally from Ireland and Scotland just couldn't take any more of it!! Although we thought Vancouver was a gorgeous city!

We are now in London Ontario and although we have had some lovely days, we have also had some really dreek, overcast, miserable days in the two months since we arrived. The last time I remember days like that was when I lived in Glasgow!!

We were living in Reading UK before this which was much sunnier - even if you got some rain, it wouldn't last and the sun would come out! Tom used to cycle to work and could count the days on one hand per year the amount of times he got soaked coming back from work.

So far as far as weather is concerned:

Reading 1 London, Ont 0

The Canadians we have talked to so far have taken great delight in telling us how humid it's going to get and how we won't be able to stand it - oh joy!! Bit concerned about how gleeful they sound!

June in London is generally very pleasant. But remember this: if you don't like the weather in Canada right now, just wait - because it will soon change.

Southern Ontario has Canada's most humid summers (Windsor is the worst). It will start getting hot and humid in early July - but you could get a taste of it in late June.

When it gets humid (on weekends) just go to places like Grand Bend or Port Stanley - nice places by the water.


P.S. Tom, this year you have had what I think is a very wet spring for southern Ontario.

One of the reasons we chose Southern Ontario was because it got hot summers. We lived in the Middle East for a couple of years although that was more of a dry heat which was fine with air conditioning. We liked the fact that it would be hot enough to have a pool in our garden etc.

What concerns me is the way we keep getting warned by very gleeful canadians about how bad it will get. Why are they so happy about telling us the awful truth? Why the perverse pleasure? If it's so bad why do they still live here? Hmmm.....maybe this is Canadian humour!

Glad to hear that it has been wetter than usual. We are only 50 mins drive from Grand bend so we are looking forward to that!

I just checked the stats for this spring regarding southern Ontario - your spring has been significantly cooler and wetter than normal. The experts are predicting that it won't truly warm up until July.

Use this link for London (or anywhere else in Canada):

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/wea...s/CAON0383.htm

One thing you should understand: forecasting the weather in Canada is very difficult to do accurately because the climate is so variable.

Yes, it's nice to have a pool behind your house - that is very common. The gleefulness is just the Canadian way of teasing you a little. It really isn't all that bad - you'll "get used to it". The key to adjusting to Canada's climate is to know how to dress appropriately. If you wear jeans when it is hot and humid - you will die. If you wear short sleave shirts and shorts, it will not be too bad.

Southern Ontario gets lots of thunderstorms in the summer. When it rains, it really can rain hard. You may wonder if the rain is going to break your windows! Don't worry, that won't happen. However, it can rain hard enough that you can't see well enough to drive - even with the wipers on high speed. Then it's said to be raining "cats and dogs".

The reason why it will get humid is because southern Ontario is almost an island in an ocean of fresh water. When that water warms up there is so much evaporation that it increases the humidity greatly. The humidity didn't bother me all that much, but it sure makes you want to get to a lake. This is one of the reasons why southern Ontarians have a "cottage culture" - where they have a cottage on a lake that they go to in the summer (weekends and holidays).

The reason why it will get humid is because southern Ontario is almost an island in an ocean of fresh water. When that water warms up there is so much evaporation that it increases the humidity greatly. The humidity didn't bother me all that much, but it sure makes you want to get to a lake. This is one of the reasons why southern Ontarians have a "cottage culture" - where they have a cottage on a lake that they go to in the summer (weedends and holidays). [/QUOTE]

I think I could get used to cottage culture! One day I would like to be able to build one with large panormic windows overlooking a lake. That would be difficult to do in Reading!

In southern Ontario, even people of modest means have a cottage to go to. Find out about this cottage/camping culture - it's wonderful.

I have lived all over North America - including Daytona Beach, San Diego, The Bahamas and Mexico. Yet, I still love the summers in southern Ontario because of the lakes - and the cottage culture. Places like Grand Bend (and so many other spots) will soon come onto their own as the weather warms up.

Are you into golfing? It's very cheap to do in Canada.

By the way, I'm from Waterloo.

It will become humid in the cities, but not so much by the lakes. Why the cottage culture? Take a look:



Find out what your part of Ontario has to offer:

http://www.ontariotravel.net/TcisCtr...st&language=EN