Whitehorse, YT – Summer heat waves analyzed by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) found several heat waves across the country, including two in the Yukon, were made “much more likely” by human-caused climate change.
Using the new Rapid Extreme Weather Event Attribution system, ECCC determined that nine separate heat waves across Canada in June and July were made two to 10 more likely by human influence on the climate.
The system compares today’s climate to pre-industrial climates to determine how much human activity impacts global temperatures.
From July 21st to July 26th the Yukon had a peak temperature of 23°C, 6.5 °C above average.
From June 26th to 30th the territory had a peak temperature of 21.4°C, 5.3 °C above average.
Averages are calculated from the average temperatures taken between 1991 and 2020.
Dr. Elizaveta Malinina, a Research Scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis, says Northern Canada is warming faster than the rest of Canada because of the Albedo effect where melting snow exposes darker surfaces which absorbs more heat and further accelerates warming.
“When we wear dark clothes in the summer, it’s always hotter. So it’s the same idea, the surface underneath the snow warms faster, and then there is even more heat coming up, melting more snow,” said Dr. Malinina. “This is a snowball effect, essentially.”
Heat waves across British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan ranged between seven to almost 10°C above average.
Dr. Malinina isn’t surprised by the findings however she noted that the extent to which all analyzed heat waves fell into the “much more likely” category might be useful to investigate further.
Prolonged heat waves are a major contributor to more intense wildfires across Canada. In 2023, wildfires burned almost 15 million hectares of forest, costing tens of billions in damages.
The Rapid Extreme Weather Event Attribution system will be used to analyze extreme cold temperature events and extreme precipitation with research on extreme cold expected to be undertaken this winter according to Dr. Malinina.
“We hope that these results will really help people understand the impact of climate change on their lives, as well as help in the preparation and adaptation for climate change.”
