As the hurricane season approaches, Canadians can as always count on Environment and Climate Change Canada's modern forecasting systems to provide timely and reliable alerts for hurricanes and tropical storms. These early warnings allow people to take action to protect themselves, their families, and their property.
The hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and this year, activity levels are expected to be below average, with 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes in the North Atlantic. This prediction is primarily due to the expected development and strengthening of El Niño in the Pacific Ocean. While Atlantic water temperatures are expected to remain quite warm, this Pacific weather pattern can limit storm formation.
Meteorologists at Environment and Climate Change Canada's Canadian Hurricane Centre conduct continuous monitoring and hazard prediction throughout hurricane season. They focus on storms with the potential to affect Canada and its waters, track storm paths, predict intensity, and issue warnings. They also support provincial and territorial partners and emergency management officials to lessen the impacts of tropical cyclones and hurricanes in Canadian communities.
Despite the below average forecast, Environment and Climate Change Canada encourages Canadians to prepare ahead of time, because even a single storm can have significant impacts. It is now more important than ever to get prepared. Find safety planning tips, track maps, and get other useful information at Canada.ca/hurricanes; access current forecasts and alerts on Canada.ca/weather; and download the WeatherCAN app (available for Android and iOS devices).
