Human-driven climate change aided heat waves in Canada's West and North
The late-June and July heat waves in Western and Northern Canada were "much more likely" as a result of human-caused climate change, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) determined with its new attribution system
Just like the extreme heat in Eastern Canada in June, the period of hot temperatures in the West and North was also driven by human-caused climate change.
That is according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), which recently established a rapid extreme weather event attribution system to compare climate simulations as a tool to uncover how human-caused climate change have affected the chances of an extreme weather event.
RELATED: Eastern Canada's June heat wave 'much more likely' due to climate change
The frequency and severity of heat events are on the rise globally as a result of climate change.
As part of the pilot phase, which included the events in the East, ECCC examined data recorded during late June and July 2024 heat waves that impacted Western and Northern Canada. The results, which were released this week, shouldn't come as a surprise: Analysis determined that human-caused climate change made the heat waves "much more likely," it said in a news release.
That means that human influence on the climate made those events at least two to 10 times more likely to happen.
According to ECCC, prolonged heat waves are a "major contributor" to more intense wildfires across Canada. The 2023 wildfires in Canada burned almost 15 million hectares of forest and cost Canadians billions of dollars in damages.
The dates of the heat waves and the regions they impacted were as follows:
Northern British Columbia (July 17-22)
Peak temperature: 24.2 C Degrees above average: 7.2 C
Southern British Columbia (July 14-22)
Peak temperature: 29.2 C Degrees above average: 9.2 C
Alberta (July 7-11)
Peak temperature: 31.5 C Degrees above average: 9.8 C
Saskatchewan (July 17-22)
Peak temperature: 30.9 C Degrees above average: 8.0 C
Fort Smith, N.W.T. (July 15-20)
Peak temperature: 28.4 C Degrees above average: 9.2 C
Yukon (July 21-26)
Peak temperature: 23.0 C Degrees above average: 6.5 C
Kivalliq, Nvt. (June 30 to July 2) Peak temperature: 22.1 C Degrees above average: 7.5 C
Yukon (June 26-30)
Peak temperature: 21.4 °C Degrees above average: 5.3 °C
Inuvik, N.W.T. (June 28 to 30) Peak temperature: 22.0 C Degrees above average: 7.2 C
"During this stage, the system will only analyze heat waves. Work to extend this system to analyze extreme cold temperature events and extreme precipitation is underway," ECCC said in the news release.
Phase 1 to review 17 heat waves across Canada
During the pilot phase of the project, including the June and July heat waves in the North, East and West, scientists will comb over extreme temperature events in 17 regions across Canada that are experiencing far-higher daytime highs than usual.
The regions to be covered include Alberta, Atlantic Canada; eastern and western Ontario; Fort Smith and Inuvik, N.W.T.; Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, northern and southern Qikiqtaaluk, Nvt.; Manitoba; northern and southern British Columbia; northern Quebec; Saskatchewan; southern Quebec; and the Yukon.
"As the planet continues to warm, we experience changes in the strength and frequency of extreme weather events. Human activities, mainly greenhouse gas emissions, are causing more extreme heat events, which can drive wildfires and drought, less extreme cold, shorter snow and ice-cover seasons, thinning glaciers and thawing permafrost," said ECCC.
The federal government body simulates two different climate periods in its system to determine a connection: The climate of the 1800s, based on levels of atmospheric gases that existed before the Industrial Revolution, and the current climate, based on observed levels of greenhouse gases and other results of human activity.
(buzbuzzer/ E+/ Getty Images)
Within just days of an event, scientists can contrast the number of heat waves in the simulated climates to compute how much human activity has changed the likelihood of the heat wave occurring.
For now, the rapid extreme weather event attribution system will focus on heat waves. However, ECCC says the structure will be expanded to include extreme cold weather events and extreme precipitation.
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