Muslims gather in Winnipeg to pray for rain
Total Winnipeg precipitation for July was 8.5 millimetres, Environment Canada data shows
Dozens of members of Winnipeg's Muslim community gathered Saturday evening to offer a prayer for rain as some parts of sun-roasted Manitoba suffer under drought conditions.
Called the Salatul-Istisqa in the Islamic tradition, the session was held at 6 p.m. outside the Winnipeg Grand Mosque on Waverley Street.
"As the Koran says, water is life — we're appealing to God to send rain to all of us," said Manitoba Islamic Association chair Idris Elbakri.
"We realize as human beings there's limits to our power and what we can do and things that are beyond our control and [this is] recognition of that."
Environment Canada data shows Winnipeg received just 8.5 millimetres of precipitation in the month of July, far less than the historical monthly average of more than 70 millimetres.
In the same period, the average maximum temperature was more than 29 C and the mercury hit record highs on each of the first four days of the month.
Drought state of emergency declared
The prolonged hot dry weather has resulted in water shortages and usage restrictions in some communities.
The Pembina Valley Water Cooperative and its 14 member municipalities in south-central Manitoba declared a drought state of emergency on Tuesday.
"This is a serious situation," the agency said.
"Although we would like a month-long rain to make it go away, we need community, agricultural and business support to reduce usage and are proactively planning for a potential long-term drought and its impact on our region."
The coming week's Environment Canada forecast for Winnipeg shows continued sun and heat climbing into the 30 C range.
The only forecast potential for rain is a 30 per cent chance of a shower on Wednesday night.
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