Latest news with #ClimateChangeCanada
CTV News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Heat warning in place throughout Central Ontario
Environment and Climate Change Canada has placed a heat warning in effect for regions south of Barrie Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECC) have issued a heat warning south of Barrie and in the Georgina region. According to ECC, daytime highs could reach 30-34 degrees Celsius, with the humidex pushing temperatures to 38 - 42 degrees Celsius. The warnings are currently in effect for: Innisfil - New Tecumseth - Angus Newmarket - Georgina - Northern York Region Orangeville - Grand Valley - Southern Dufferin County Vaughn - Richmond Hill - Markham Nighttime low temperatures are projected to be 19 -23 degrees Celsius and will provide limited relief from the warm temperatures. ECC said the hottest temperatures are expected on Monday and are reminding the public to watch for early signs of heat exhaustion. Signs include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst and intense fatigue.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
It's not your imagination: Winnipeg summers are smokier than they used to be
Feel like the past few Winnipeg summers have been smokier than usual? Turns out, there's data to back that up. The last several summers have been some of Canada's smokiest on record, as wildfires burn bigger, hotter and earlier in the season than had been normal in previous decades. Amid the worst wildfire season in Manitoba in three decades, at this pace Winnipeg could break its own nearly 65-year-old smoke record this year. "We do see this increasing, and some of it can be attributed to climate change, or drought, or the heat," said Céline Audette, manager for health and air quality forecast services at Environment and Climate Change Canada. The agency has been tracking smoke in the city's air since 1953. And while the smokiest summer on record came way back in 1961, that was a rare occurrence for the era that coincided with a historic summer drought and more than one million hectares of forest burned. Lately, smoky summers have been a more frequent occurrence. "With increasing temperatures and increasing heat in many areas of the country, we will have also an increasing number of forest fires," Audette said. WATCH | Winnipeg summers getting smokier, data suggests: And with an increasing number of forest fires, there will also be an increasing number of what are known as "smoke hours," she said. It's a measure Environment and Climate Change Canada defines as a period when visibility drops to 9.7 kilometres (six statute miles) or less due to smoke, as measured hourly by some of its weather-monitoring stations — including one near the Winnipeg airport. For decades, 1961 stood out as the only year that saw more than 100 total smoke hours in Winnipeg during wildfire season (May to September). More recently, however, that amount of smoke has become the norm. Four of the past five years have seen 100 smoke hours or more. The chart below shows total smoke hours each year, including so far in 2025. The data in this chart is updated daily, so you can check back throughout the summer to see how it compares to past years — and whether Winnipeg breaks the record set in 1961. As of mid-July, 2025 was already the third-smokiest season on record. A disadvantage of the "smoke hour" measure — as compared to more nuanced air-quality index scores or detailed fine-particulate matter readings — is that it doesn't tell you exactly how smoky it is. But the advantage is that Environment and Climate Change Canada has been tracking "smoke hours" this way for the better part of a century, allowing us to compare our current smoky skies to those of Winnipeggers long in the past. Another advantage: it tracks naturally with our intuitive experience. Was it smoky just in the morning, or all day? Was it smoky just for a day or two? All week? The calendar-style chart below depicts smoke this wildfire season. Each dot in the chart represents a day, and the colour of each dot depicts how many smoke hours there were that day. Darker dots mean more smoke hours — and in July, the two darkest are July 11 and 12, when advisories were issued as thousands attended Winnipeg Folk Festival. Wildfire smoke in past seasons Using this same approach, we can peer back into past wildfire seasons, at a glance. The final chart below depicts each season as a horizontal band. Each day is a coloured line on that band. The colour of each bar represents the number of smoke hours that day. It makes for a tall chart. But as you scroll down, you can quickly see how Winnipeg's air looked in recent years compared to the 2010s, 2000s, 1990s, 1980s, 1970s, 1960s and 1950s. Different kinds of smoke It's important to note that not all of the smoke picked up in this measure since 1953 necessarily comes from wildfires. Smoke from other sources, such as stubble burning on nearby agricultural land, would also register in the data. The practice was more common in the past, before the Manitoba Government began regulating it in 1993, after a particularly brutal blanket of smoke enveloped parts of the province in October 1992. Effects of smoke Dr. Anna Gunz said smoke may affect health in the long term in similar ways to exposure to other forms of air pollution, which can impact heart, lung and brain health. "Some of this obviously we don't know yet from wildfires, but ... it seems like exposure to wildfire smoke can affect prenatal outcomes, including low birth weight and potentially prematurity," Gunz, an environmental health pediatrician and professor at Western University, recently told Information Radio host Marcy Markusa. "We know there are long-term health consequences that these infants are now at risk of." The Weather CAN app is one place you can check for air quality index scores before heading outside. Source of smoke The following map also provides a visual sense of where any smoke currently in the sky is originating. Environment Canada tracks one of the main pollutants in wildfire smoke, known as fine particulate matter or PM2.5, and how it's circulating in the air. Below, you can see a map showing the latest smoke plumes circulating over North America. You can scroll around and zoom in on the map to take a closer look at Winnipeg or any specific area.
CBC
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
It's not your imagination: Winnipeg summers are smokier than they used to be
Social Sharing Feel like the past few Winnipeg summers have been smokier than usual? Turns out, there's data to back that up. The last several summers have been some of Canada's smokiest on record, as wildfires burn bigger, hotter and earlier in the season than had been normal in previous decades. Amid the worst wildfire season in Manitoba in three decades, at this pace Winnipeg could break its own nearly 65-year-old smoke record this year. "We do see this increasing, and some of it can be attributed to climate change, or drought, or the heat," said Céline Audette, manager for health and air quality forecast services at Environment and Climate Change Canada. The agency has been tracking smoke in the city's air since 1953. And while the smokiest summer on record came way back in 1961, that was a rare occurrence for the era that coincided with a historic summer drought and more than one million hectares of forest burned. Lately, smoky summers have been a more frequent occurrence. "With increasing temperatures and increasing heat in many areas of the country, we will have also an increasing number of forest fires," Audette said. WATCH | Winnipeg summers getting smokier, data suggests: Winnipeg summers getting smokier, data suggests 1 hour ago Historical data from Environment and Climate Change Canada suggests Winnipeg summers have been getting smokier in recent years due to warmer summers, more wildfires and other factors related to climate change. And with an increasing number of forest fires, there will also be an increasing number of what are known as "smoke hours," she said. It's a measure Environment and Climate Change Canada defines as a period when visibility drops to 9.7 kilometres (six statute miles) or less due to smoke, as measured hourly by some of its weather-monitoring stations — including one near the Winnipeg airport. For decades, 1961 stood out as the only year that saw more than 100 total smoke hours in Winnipeg during wildfire season (May to September). More recently, however, that amount of smoke has become the norm. Four of the past five years have seen 100 smoke hours or more. The chart below shows total smoke hours each year, including so far in 2025. The data in this chart is updated daily, so you can check back throughout the summer to see how it compares to past years — and whether Winnipeg breaks the record set in 1961. As of mid-July, 2025 was already the third-smokiest season on record. A disadvantage of the "smoke hour" measure — as compared to more nuanced air-quality index scores or detailed fine-particulate matter readings — is that it doesn't tell you exactly how smoky it is. But the advantage is that Environment and Climate Change Canada has been tracking "smoke hours" this way for the better part of a century, allowing us to compare our current smoky skies to those of Winnipeggers long in the past. Another advantage: it tracks naturally with our intuitive experience. Was it smoky just in the morning, or all day? Was it smoky just for a day or two? All week? The calendar-style chart below depicts smoke this wildfire season. Each dot in the chart represents a day, and the colour of each dot depicts how many smoke hours there were that day. Darker dots mean more smoke hours — and in July, the two darkest are July 11 and 12, when advisories were issued as thousands attended Winnipeg Folk Festival. Wildfire smoke in past seasons Using this same approach, we can peer back into past wildfire seasons, at a glance. The final chart below depicts each season as a horizontal band. Each day is a coloured line on that band. The colour of each bar represents the number of smoke hours that day. It makes for a tall chart. But as you scroll down, you can quickly see how Winnipeg's air looked in recent years compared to the 2010s, 2000s, 1990s, 1980s, 1970s, 1960s and 1950s. Different kinds of smoke It's important to note that not all of the smoke picked up in this measure since 1953 necessarily comes from wildfires. Smoke from other sources, such as stubble burning on nearby agricultural land, would also register in the data. The practice was more common in the past, before the Manitoba Government began regulating it in 1993, after a particularly brutal blanket of smoke enveloped parts of the province in October 1992. Effects of smoke Dr. Anna Gunz said smoke may affect health in the long term in similar ways to exposure to other forms of air pollution, which can impact heart, lung and brain health. "Some of this obviously we don't know yet from wildfires, but ... it seems like exposure to wildfire smoke can affect prenatal outcomes, including low birth weight and potentially prematurity," Gunz, an environmental health pediatrician and professor at Western University, recently told Information Radio host Marcy Markusa. "We know there are long-term health consequences that these infants are now at risk of." The Weather CAN app is one place you can check for air quality index scores before heading outside. Source of smoke The following map also provides a visual sense of where any smoke currently in the sky is originating. Environment Canada tracks one of the main pollutants in wildfire smoke, known as fine particulate matter or PM2.5, and how it's circulating in the air. Below, you can see a map showing the latest smoke plumes circulating over North America. You can scroll around and zoom in on the map to take a closer look at Winnipeg or any specific area.
CBC
22-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Tornado warnings issued for parts of south-central Manitoba on Monday night
Some parts of south-central Manitoba are under a tornado warning on Monday night. The rural municipality of Macdonald, including the communities of Brunkild, Starbuck and La Salle, and the rural municipality of Morris, including Rosenort and Aubigny, are under a tornado warning issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada shortly before 7 p.m. Monday. Damaging wings, large hail and intense spots of rainfall are also possible during the storm, the warnings say. People in those areas are advised to take cover immediately if threatening weather nears. Anyone who observes threatening weather — such as a roaring sound, a funnel cloud, and/or swirling or flying debris — should take shelter as soon as possible. Once inside, ECCC advises going into a room on the lowest floor that's outside from walls or windows, such as a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet. The weather agency also says people in the impacted regions should leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers and other temporary or free-standing structures, and move to a strong building if possible. The cities of Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, as well as the Interlake region, are also under a severe thunderstorm watch issued shortly before 7 p.m., according to ECCC.
CTV News
21-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfires near Thompson showing heightened activity
Lightning strikes near Thompson have resulted in several new fires near the city sparking Friday. Wildfires near Thompson are showing increased activity as the area contends with warm weather and a lack of moisture. In an update posted to social media, the city said the fire north of the region has been more active in its centre and northern edge. It added that crews were unable to do suppression work with helicopters and water bombers on Saturday due to smoky conditions. The area also saw two additional fires start over the weekend. As of Monday morning, Thompson remains under an air quality warning, with Environment and Climate Change Canada warning that wildfire smoke is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility. However, amid the smoky conditions, rain is forecast for the region beginning at 10 a.m. According to the latest provincial data, the main fire threatening the city is 16,370 hectares in size and remains out of control.
