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Top 10 weather events shattered records

January 20th, 2025  |  News

Last year was Canada's most expensive year for weather disasters, with extreme events affecting millions of lives.

From floods and damaging hail to extreme temperatures and devastating wildfires, 2024’s severe weather shattered records and left an unprecedented mark on both communities and insurance ledgers.

According to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc (CatIQ), four weather events in July and August alone resulted in over $7.7 billion in insured damages. The human toll was equally severe, with a brutal cold snap in January claiming dozens of lives in western Canada's homeless population, while flooding events in British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia added to the year's fatalities.

Human-caused climate change is increasing the intensity of severe weather. Canada’s top weathermakers of 2024, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, include record-breaking heatwaves, destructive winds, and relentless rainfalls. These events are chosen based on the degree of impact on Canada - including human impact - severity, economic costs, the extent of the area affected, and longevity as a top news story.

In 2024 they were:

  1. Jasper heatwave and wildfires
  2. Central Canada bears brunt of hurricane season
  3. January deep freeze in Western Canada
  4. Atmospheric rivers deliver double blow to B.C.
  5. Billion-dollar hailstones: Calgary’s costliest weather disaster
  6. Summer floods in Southern Ontario
  7. Unusual Heatwave in Arctic communities
  8. Cape Breton’s winter storm
  9. Summer split: Maritimes sizzle while Alberta shivers.
  10. Wildfires and evacuations in western Labrador

Record-breaking temperatures were a top contributor as extreme heat set the stage for devastating wildfires in both Western and Atlantic Canada, while severe cold snaps resulted in significant economic impacts for Alberta.

Torrential rains inflicted costly flooding in some of Canada’s largest urban centres. Arctic communities endured a significant heatwave, while Montréal recorded all-time high precipitation records.

Significant loss, damage, and displacement also characterized 2024’s top weathermakers. Two wildfire events prompted full local evacuations, totalling the displacement of over 12,000 residents and 20,000 visitors. Jasper, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, was changed significantly when fire consumed approximately 16 per cent of the area’s forest and 30 per cent of its town.

Tragically, Environment Canada says more than 40 people died from the impacts of 2024’s severe weather.

- With files from Environment and Climate Change Canada

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