2026 is the wettest summer on record in Edmonton — with more storms expected

Evening Standard Published Jul 28, 2026 Reviewed Jul 29, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

Edmonton recorded 655.7 mm of precipitation from January through July 2026, making it the third-wettest year on record behind 1900 (745.1 mm) and 1901 (699 mm), according to weather specialist Phil Darlington.

655.7 mm · Edmonton precipitation745.1 mm · Edmonton 1900 precipitation699 mm · Edmonton 1901 precipitation

Edmonton received 580 mm of rain between early June and July 27, 2026, surpassing the previous wettest summer record of 417 mm set in 1953, according to meteorologist Brian Proctor of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

580 mm · Edmonton precipitation417 mm · Edmonton 1953 summer precipitation

As of July 27, 2026, Edmonton had recorded 260.7 mm of precipitation in July, approaching the all-time July record of 282 mm set in 1901, according to meteorologist Brian Proctor of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

260.7 mm · Edmonton July 2026 precipitation282 mm · Edmonton July 1901 precipitation

Edmonton’s average summer precipitation (June–August) is 213.3 mm, but in 2026 it reached 580 mm by late July, according to meteorologist Brian Proctor of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

213.3 mm · Edmonton average summer precipitation580 mm · Edmonton summer 2026 precipitation

Edmonton recorded 15 storm days in June and 19 storm days through July 27, 2026, according to meteorologist Brian Proctor of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

15 days · Edmonton June 2026 storm days19 days · Edmonton July 2026 storm days

Edmonton’s typical summer monthly average precipitation is 70–80 mm, and its average annual rainfall is 423 mm, according to meteorologist Brian Proctor of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

at least 70 mm · Edmonton typical summer monthly precipitationat most 80 mm · Edmonton typical summer monthly precipitation423 mm · Edmonton average annual rainfall

Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton was treating five or six children per day for skeeter syndrome in summer 2026, according to Dr. Andrew Dixon, an emergency room physician at the hospital.

at least 5 children · Stollery Children’s Hospital skeeter syndrome casesat most 6 children · Stollery Children’s Hospital skeeter syndrome cases

Senior City of Edmonton scientist Mike Jenkins reported that mosquito numbers in mid-July 2026 were 15 times higher than in mid-July 2025, describing it as the largest mosquito population in the last decade.

15 · Edmonton mosquito population ratio (2026 vs 2025)

Since the beginning of 2026, the Edmonton region has recorded 655.7 mm of precipitation — both heavy snowfalls in the winter and rain now — and the year is far from over.

Edmonton has broken a record for the wettest summer on record — and it isn’t even August.

It’s been two months of nearly back-to-back severe thunderstorms: June had 15 days with storms and this month has had 19, as of Monday, July 27.

Brian Proctor, meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the wettest summer on record in the capital city was more than 70 years ago.

In 1953, the city received 417 millimetres of rain from June through August.

So typically, our summers, if we look at the three months of June, July and August, we see on average about 213.3 millimetres,” Proctor said in an interview.

“But this year, it has been exceptionally wet and exceptionally stormy.”

Between the beginning of June and Tuesday, the region has been saturated by 580 millimetres of rain and July isn’t over yet.

The typical monthly average in summer is between 70 and 80 millimetres, with an average annual rainfall of 423 millimetres.

Edmonton is also on track to record the wettest July — and month — on record.

The record for precipitation for July is 282 millimetres set in 1901 and, as of Tuesday, the city has recorded 260.7 millimetres, Proctor said.

Environment Canada has been keeping weather data from Edmonton since the 1880s.

Edmonton is now in the midst of its rainiest year in over a century, and third-wettest year on record.

The wettest overall year for Edmonton was 1900 at 745.1mm. The second-wettest was 1901, at 699 mm, according to weather specialist Phil Darlington.

Since the beginning of 2026, the Edmonton region has recorded 655.7 mm of precipitation — both heavy snowfalls in the winter and rain now — and the year is far from over.

More storms are forecast for the coming weeks in what has become Edmonton’s summer of soggy misery. Proctor said all the moisture in the area is also feeding into a cycle of thunderstorms.

“One of the things to think about for thunderstorms: moisture is like gasoline,” he said.

“The more moisture you have available, the more severe the storms can be.”

Frequent intense storms have routinely flooded roads, side streets and basements, cancelled shows and events while spawning thick clouds of mosquitos.

The summer deluge has affected commuters. The city said Tuesday that several roads remained closed as crews worked to clean up downed trees and deal with localized flooding.

It said a storm Monday was the city’s sixth major weather event since June.

All the water has closed visitor sites, including the Muttart Conservatory. The Telus World of Science was expected to stay closed until late this year to fix water damage.

Elk Island National Park, east of the city, closed over the weekend as crews worked to clear downed trees, fix damaged fencing and clean up debris.

The swelling mosquito population has also led to more hospital visits for children experiencing skeeter syndrome — an intense, localized allergic reaction to mosquito saliva.

Dr. Andrew Dixon, an emergency room physician at Stollery Children’s Hospital, said it has been treating five or six children a day with the condition.

He added that skeeter syndrome is more common in children and appears worse in the beginning of the season.

“Your body kind of gets used to it over time and stops reacting as much,” Dixon said. He said the condition isn’t dangerous and antihistamines are effective in treating it.

Mike Jenkins, a senior scientist with the City of Edmonton, said the number of mosquitoes in the city in mid-July is 15 times higher compared with this time last year.

“It’s definitely the largest number of mosquitoes we’ve had in the last decade,” Jenkins said.

“But that being said, it also has been one of our driest decades on record — until now.”

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