Environment and Climate Change Canada is committed to climate research into how and why the country's climate has changed over the decades. Research like this will help us predict future changes and provide Canadians with a deeper understanding of how human-caused climate change affects extreme weather events, like heat waves and cold snaps.
This summer, climate scientists are using the Rapid Extreme Weather Event Attribution system to analyze heat waves across Canada to determine how CO2 and other emissions from human activities impacted extreme heat. During the summer of 2024, climate scientists analyzed the 37 most extreme heat events across Canada. In all cases, they found that the heat waves were likely because of climate change.
This summer, human-caused climate change already made two heat waves in Canada much more likely to occur. This means that human influence on the climate made the following events at least two to 10 times more likely to occur:
Yukon (June 20 to 23)
- Peak daily high temperature during the heat wave: 22.0 °C
- Degrees above normal daily high temperature: 6.5 °C
Alberta (May 28 to 31)
- Peak daily high temperature during the heat wave: 28.8 °C
- Degrees above normal daily high temperature: 11.3 °C
Analysis of how weather events are linked to human-caused climate change relies on advanced climate models and observations to compare today's climate with what existed in the pre-industrial era (1850 to 1900). Comparison allows climate scientists to answer the question, "What role did human-caused climate change play in this event?" and provides concrete results that can be quickly understood.
This past winter, climate scientists also piloted a new function to analyze climate change's impact on cold weather events. As the global climate continues to warm, extreme cold temperatures are becoming less frequent. This work provides Canadians with direct insight into how human-caused climate change and its devastating impacts are affecting their lives and weather today and see these changes as they unfold.
Canadians are encouraged to regularly monitor weather forecasts, take all weather alerts seriously, and get prepared for weather-related events by developing an emergency plan and being ready to adjust their travel plans.
Canadians can download the WeatherCAN app to receive weather alert notifications directly on their mobile devices. Alerts help Canadians prepare to face severe weather events, save lives, and reduce the impacts on property and livelihoods.
