Overview

• Sunnyside, N.L., briefly lost tap water after its reservoir emptied, and volunteers pumped from a pond to restore service.
• Federal monitoring shows 71% of Canada was abnormally dry or in drought at the end of July, an extent experts call exceptional.
• Towns in eastern Newfoundland tightened restrictions, with Bonavista banning non-essential outdoor use to protect drinking water.
• Parched conditions have driven one of the country’s worst wildfire seasons on record and strained farms, prompting disaster declarations and herd sell-offs.
• Manitoba Hydro reports the lowest system inflows for this time of year in 40 years, and specialists recommend high‑resolution drought tracking, added storage, water efficiency and faster climate mitigation.