Despite the massive flooding event in Windsor this week, it was not a record breaking August weatherwise.
Senior Climatologist with Environment Canada, David Phillips, says the Windsor Airport — which is used as the official gauge and indicator — recorded 142mm (5.5 in) of rain last month.
Phillips says although it is double the normal amount, the actual record still stands at 200mm (7.8 in) of rain back in 1965.
Phillips admits the rainfall amounts varied through Windsor alone.
"You can have flooding events in your front yard and not in your backyard, it is quite varied across Essex County and I don't think that was ever better demonstrated than in this storm," says Phillips.
During the storm, the Windsor-Riverside area received 170mm (6.7 in) of rain during the two days.
Phillips says even for the entire summer from June to August, the total precipitation amounts are normal.
"The problem is that 40% of that rain fell on two days and that is really the issue, why there was so much flooding because leading up to that moment, it was less than 60% of the normal rainfall," says Phillips.
Even more bizarre — the number of days with rain in August was down. Normally it should be 11 and there were nine days with rain last month.