A spectacular sunset tonight in Montreal after another rainy day. It has rained every weekend this summer. SB pic

August started in spectacular fashion on Saturday with bright sunshine and temperatures in the upper 20's. Sadly it did not last. Today low pressure and a trailing cold front produced heavy rain in Montreal over the course of the midday period, with late afternoon thunderstorms in eastern Ontario. The thunderstorms fizzled with the setting sun and did not make it east into Quebec.

It was another day of severe weather in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The storms came on the heels of yesterdays killer storms in southern Alberta. At the annual Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta, 100km southwest of Edmonton, severe thunderstorms toppled a stage killing one and injuring 75, some critically. The late afternoon storm produced 100km/h winds. The same system toppled trees in Calgary, killing a second person and cut power to large parts of the city.

This weather is just part of what has been a terrible summer coast to coast. The only true summer weather has been in B.C., but it comes with a price. The high heat and dry weather is helping wildfires scorch hundreds of acres of forest and forced the evacuation of scores from their homes. The heat is expected to continue in the interior well into this week.

Back in Montreal we just came off the cloudiest July ever recorded in the city with limited sunshine and rain on 26 of 31 days. So far we are 1 for 2 in August.