The Yukon flag waves outside the Yukon Legislature. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – Climate change contributed to 20 “risky heat days” in the territory this summer, according to Climate Central’s latest report.
Risky heat days are defined as days hotter than 90 per cent of historical local temperatures, when heat-related health impacts can begin to occur.
Across the territory, Yukon experienced 26 days with high temperatures made at least twice as likely due to climate change. Overall, the region’s seasonal temperature was 0.9°C above normal.
Dr. Kristina Dahl, Climate Central’s vice president for science, said Yukon appears to be harder hit than other parts of Canada.
“Of all of the Canadian provinces, the Yukon, experienced the most risky heat days this summer, and not quite half of those days were added by climate change,” said Dahl. “That’s a pretty large proportion compared to what the rest of the country experienced.”
The report uses a climate model that simulates a world without human-driven climate change to determine how much of the heat can be attributed to global warming.
