Bonilla Island, British Columbia
Bonilla Island is a small island in the Hecate Strait west of Banks Island. The island features a lighthouse and small forests.
History
The island was likely discovered by Spanish explorer Jacinto Caamaño, and named "Bonilla Island" for the hill on it. In 1912, plans to build a light beacon were made, which was constructed in 1927. Due to increases in marine traffic, a lighthouse, three dwellings, and a fog horn were built in 1957.[1]
Oceanographic research
The Bonilla Island light is one of 12 lighthouses part of the British Columbia Shore Station Oceanographic Program, collecting coastal water temperature and salinity measurements for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans everyday since 1960.[2]
Climate
Bonilla Island has a rainy and mild Oceanic climate. (Cfb)
| Climate data for Bonilla Island (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.9 (64.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
24.0 (75.2) |
22.0 (71.6) |
28.5 (83.3) |
23.3 (73.9) |
22.0 (71.6) |
26.5 (79.7) |
18.0 (64.4) |
18.9 (66.0) |
14.5 (58.1) |
28.5 (83.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.8 (44.2) |
6.9 (44.4) |
7.9 (46.2) |
9.6 (49.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
13.9 (57.0) |
15.4 (59.7) |
16.0 (60.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
8.5 (47.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
10.8 (51.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
5.8 (42.4) |
7.5 (45.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
11.8 (53.2) |
13.4 (56.1) |
14.0 (57.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
9.9 (49.8) |
6.6 (43.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
8.9 (48.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) |
3.1 (37.6) |
3.7 (38.7) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.4 (45.3) |
9.7 (49.5) |
11.4 (52.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
10.7 (51.3) |
8.1 (46.6) |
4.8 (40.6) |
3.4 (38.1) |
6.9 (44.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.3 (8.1) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
−11.5 (11.3) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
2.0 (35.6) |
5.5 (41.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.4 (39.9) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−18.5 (−1.3) |
−15.0 (5.0) |
−18.5 (−1.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 237.7 (9.36) |
176.8 (6.96) |
186.8 (7.35) |
164.2 (6.46) |
122.0 (4.80) |
98.4 (3.87) |
87.8 (3.46) |
112.6 (4.43) |
165.8 (6.53) |
252.1 (9.93) |
264.2 (10.40) |
271.6 (10.69) |
2,139.8 (84.24) |
| Source: Environment Canada[3][4] | |||||||||||||
References
- ^ "Bonilla Island Lighthouse". LighthouseFriends. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
- ^ Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2019-03-21). "Data from BC lightstations". www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Archived from the original on 2019-06-19. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
- ^ Environment Canada—[1]. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
- ^ January 2018 |date=January 2018