This summer’s bone-dry conditions afflicted farmers, strained municipal water supply, and fuelled one of the worst wildfire seasons on record.

Drought-stricken communities across the country have urged residents to cut back on water and some have instituted outright bans on most outdoor water activities to help preserve their drinking water.

What has stood out about this year is just how widespread those drought conditions have become, said John Pomeroy, one of Canada’s leading hydrologists. The only other year in recent memory when drought was so widespread was 2023, he said.

“It’s a coast-to-coast-to-coast drought. So that’s quite exceptional,” said Pomeroy, the director of the Global Water Futures Observatories project at the University of Saskatchewan. He called the “bone-dry” conditions in typically wet Newfoundland and Nova Scotia “mind-boggling.”

As climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, is expected to increase the likelihood and severity of drought, experts say Canada needs to accelerate the transition to clean energy while also increasing the country’s resilience to these extremes.

Canadian Drought monitor July 31, 2025

At the end of July, 70% of Canada’s agricultural landscape was classified as Abnormally Dry (D0) or in Drought, including 53% in Moderate (D1) to Extreme (D3) Drought.

In British Columbia, persistent rainfall deficits and dwindling stream flows exacerbated dry conditions. The northern and central Prairies saw exceptionally low precipitation, resulting in rapidly worsening drought in those regions.

Eastern Ontario received hot and dry conditions that expanded existing dry and drought areas.

Atlantic Canada’s July rainfall deficits resulted in the expansion and increased severity of drought.

Canadian Drought Conditions August 31, 2025

In August, drought conditions generally improved in Western Canada and worsened in Eastern Canada. British Columbia, saw a mix of improvements and worsening drought with northern regions receiving much needed rainfall, while central regions continued to receive below normal precipitation. Southern portions of the Prairie region saw significant improvement with widespread storm events providing well above-normal precipitation. Northern regions of the prairies generally saw moderate improvement, however significant regions of Severe (D2) to Extreme Drought (D3) remain. Dry conditions dominated Eastern Canada with southern regions of Ontario and Quebec and much of the Atlantic region receiving well below-normal August precipitation, substantially increasing the severity and extent of the drought.

According to the report, the drought in the Maritimes worsened through August.

Atlantic Canada

An East Coast drought that’s fuelling wildfires is also drying up farmers’ fields, and has homeowners scrambling to refill empty wells.

Nova Scotia, eastern Newfoundland, southeastern New Brunswick and portions of Prince Edward Island shifted into moderate to severe drought conditions over the past month, says an Agriculture Canada update released in August.

Rainfall has plummeted to roughly 60 per cent of normal levels in Halifax, with 270 millimetres falling from April to the end of July, compared to average levels of 460 mm for the same period, the federal agency says. In Newfoundland and Labrador, where wildfire smoke is swirling within sight of the capital St. John’s, rainfall over the same period is down about one-third from normal levels.

“It looks to be one of the driest Augusts on record (to date) … preceded by one of the driest months of July to date,” Environment Canada forecaster Brian Proctor said in a recent interview.

Nova Scotia

In a CTV report, farmers in Nova Scotia are describing the water shortages as the most severe in recent memory.

Josh Oulton, co-owner of TapRoot Farms in Windsor, N.S., said in a recent CTV interview that water is being pumped from his wells to irrigate crops but the “apples are suffering badly.” The beets and carrots he planted earlier in the summer aren’t growing.

“Everything is just barely holding on. At the same time the prices from suppliers are going up … and we’re slowly dying,” he said.

As the hot, dry days continue, some rural residents are scrambling to ensure their wells are kept full. In Nova Scotia, about 42 per cent of residents are on private well water.

Data from the Canadian Drought Monitor shows that most of the province was experiencing a moderate drought by July 31. (Canadian Drought Monitor)

Garth Higgins, owner of Water Unlimited — a water delivery firm in eastern Nova Scotia — said he’s seeing the highest demand for his services since he began operating 19 years ago.

The 54-year-old resident of Cooks Brook, N.S., recalls that there was a dry season late in the summer in 2016, but it wasn’t as severe. When reached on Monday morning, he had a list of 33 deliveries booked and orders coming in every few minutes.

“There are people calling me daily, saying my well just ran out — it just ran out,” he said in an interview. “It means no running water in the house. No baths, no showers, no flushing toilets.”

The Halifax Regional Municipality has voluntary water conservation measures in effect, but many smaller, rural towns in northern Nova Scotia and the Annapolis Valley have brought in mandatory limits as their reservoirs run low.

The severity has increased since the end of July in much of the Annapolis Valley and northern Nova Scotia where a lot of the province’s agricultural land is found. Hadwen said drought “is a slow-onset disaster, and drought is a slow-recovery disaster as well. One rainfall is not going to make much of a difference.”

He said rainfall can reduce fire danger quickly, “but when we’re looking at soil moisture and the penetration (of rain) reestablishing that soil moisture at depth … that’s going to take some time.”

He said ponds are drying up and surface water supplies have been reduced, “and that takes some time to recover.”

New Brunswick

By August 2025, nearly two-thirds of New Brunswick was abnormally dry or in drought—up from just 4% in July—highlighting how sharply conditions worsened this season.

Drought expanded provincewide, with Severe Drought (D2) intensifying in the east and new Extreme Drought (D3) areas emerging. Low water conditions prompted industrial restrictions in forested areas, while below-normal rivers and reservoirs continue to raise concerns over water supply.

Jennifer MacNeil, a spokeswoman for New Brunswick’s Environment Department, said stream flows at sites in the northeast, southeast and along the Fundy Coast are at “all time lows.” Groundwater levels at eastern and southeastern monitoring sites “are well below normal.”

“With no significant precipitation in the near-term forecast, water resource conditions are expected to continue to gradually decline. A slow and steady rainfall over several days is needed to improve water levels,” said MacNeil.

Newfoundland Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) experienced severe drought conditions in August 2025, with parts of the province facing water shortages, including some areas where taps ran dry, and widespread dry conditions leading to out-of-control wildfires and significant environmental impacts. While there were some localized improvements later in the month, the overall drought situation remained critical, affecting communities and ecosystems. 

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's data, parts of the island are experiencing moderate drought, as shown by the orange colour. The yellow sections mark parts of the province that are drier than normal. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

PE

Prince Edward Island’s potato industry, already accustomed to weather challenges, is bracing for one of its most disappointing harvests in years, as Bill McGuire reports for Island Farmer.

As of late August, the Island remains locked in a prolonged drought, and Greg Donald, general manager of the PEI Potato Board, says producers are steeling themselves for a below-average crop.

“Without question, this will be a below average year,” Donald said. “How poor we end up will depend on what happens in the next few weeks, but the damage is done. The plants have been under extreme stress.”

Central Canada

Overall temperatures across the Central Region were near normal in August. However, temperatures fluctuated from extremely hot early August to cooler than normal later in the month. In the second week of August several maximum temperature records were set including at Cornwall with a high of 36°C. Precipitation varied considerably, with much of northwestern Ontario and northern Quebec receiving 60 to 120% of normal rainfall. In contrast, southern Ontario and southern Quebec were drier, receiving only 40 to 85% and 40 to 60% of normal precipitation, respectively. Bancroft and southeastern Quebec, particularly around Sherbrooke, experienced the driest conditions this month, with recorded precipitation at less than 40% of normal.

Ontario

Several conservation authorities in eastern Ontario, including Cataraqui, Rideau Valley, Carp, South Nation, and Mississippi Valley, have issued Level 3 low-water warnings, advising residents to significantly reduce water use due to critically low river and stream levels. These advisories primarily affect areas with private wells and municipal systems drawing from these strained watersheds. While the City of Ottawa's central system is not impacted, conservation efforts are encouraged for broader watershed resilience. 

Areas Affected in Eastern Ontario

• Cataraqui Conservation: Serves areas around Kingston, Gananoque, and Brockville. 
• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority: Covers the Rideau River watershed, impacting communities like Smiths Falls, Perth, and Westport. 
• South Nation Conservation Authority: Also issues a Level 3 warning. 
• Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority: Has declared Level 3 warnings for its watershed areas. 
• Carp River Watershed: Also affected by Level 3 advisories. 

WILDFIRES 2025

Canada is in the grip of its second-worst wildfire season on record, with flames now stretching beyond the West into Prairie and Atlantic provinces including Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre says 7.5 million hectares have already burned in 2025, surpassing the 10-year average and reinforcing warnings that wildfire seasons are growing longer, more destructive and less predictable.

Raging, out-of-control wildfires have forced tens of thousands from their homes nationwide over the past weeks. In Manitoba alone, the Canadian Red Cross says it has helped more than 32,000 people from about 12,000 households evacuate.

Prairies

As of the information available from May to September 2025, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba are experiencing significant wildfire activity. Saskatchewan declared a state of emergency in May due to the numerous fires, while Manitoba also ordered widespread evacuations for thousands. Alberta has seen intense early-season fire activity, with a large complex near Chipewyan Lake and others affecting communities and First Nations. Firefighting efforts are focused on protecting communities, with weather conditions and the lack of significant rain hindering containment. 

Current Alberta Wildfire Status

BC

NWT

FORT PROVIDENCE — A wildfire that forced out residents of a Northwest Territories community is still burning out of control.

A wildfire update on Saturday says Fort Providence’s leadership is developing a re-entry plan for the community’s 700 residents and no homes have been lost to flames.

Residents were ordered to leave on Aug. 31 as a wildfire approached the southeastern tip of the community.

Fort Providence was the second major community in the Northwest Territories that was evacuated in August.

The approximately 600 residents of Whati, northwest of Yellowknife, were allowed to return last Friday, over a week after being forced to flee due to a wildfire.

The wildfires contributed to the thick smoke that hovered over large parts of the Prairies last week, forcing Environment Canada to issue air quality cautions.

NWT Wildfire Map