From an Arctic heatwave to billion-dollar hailstones and the devastating Jasper wildfire — 2024 was a year marked by significant weather events.
In December, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) held its annual recap of Canada’s top 10 most impactful weather events of the year.
The recap is “a reflection on the weather events that shaped our year, made headlines, and left an indelible mark on communities across the country,” said Jennifer Smith, a national warning preparedness meteorologist at ECCC.
In 2024, 228,000 insurance claims were made — “a 406-per-cent increase compared to the 20-year average,” said Celyeste Power, president and CEO of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
David Phillips, a senior climatologist at ECCC, compiles the top 10 weather stories annually, and has been doing so for nearly three decades. Reports are compiled based on the severity of the event, its impact on Canadians, the geographic scope, and the environmental and economic consequences.
“His work not only highlighted the power of weather, but its profound influence on our lives and livelihood,” Smith said.
This summer was especially devastating for many Canadians. It ranked as the most destructive wildfire season in Canadian history, pushing the 2024 tally to over $7.7 billion lost, a $5.1-billion increase from 2023, according to the IBC.
Here’s what we know about the 10 most devastating weather events in Canada in 2024, from raging wildfires to relentless storms and disastrous floods.
10. Wildfires and evacuations in western Labrador
During a summer of “fire, fear, and resilience,” western Labrador saw a series of wildfires in June and July. A notable blaze that took place on July 12 just west of Labrador City surged 21 kilometres in just four hours — forcing 7,000 residents to flee, said Smith.
Entire communities were forced to evacuate due to numerous fires.
9. Summer split: Maritimes sizzle while Alberta shivers
While Atlantic Canada “sweltered” in heatwaves, western Canada “shivered” in cool conditions. Impressive heat waves broke records in eastern North America, including an all-time high of 37.6 C in Bathurst, N.B. — the highest temperature ever recorded in New Brunswick and anywhere in the Maritimes for the month of June.
Sub-zero temperatures, frost warnings and snow were recorded across different parts of western Canada in the month of June, the frost affecting crops such as peas and canola in central Alberta.
This summer switch was a stark contrast for Canada, Smith said.
8. Cape Breton’s winter wallop
While Cape Bretoners are no strangers to winter storms, unprecedented snowstorms took them by surprise when an intense snowfall dropped one metre of snow on downtown Sydney over four days in early February.
Residents were forced to tunnel out of their homes.
The snowstorm’s pressure shattered windows and buried vehicles. The Cape Breton Regional Municipality declared a local state of emergency. It was the most severe winter storm to hit this part of the Maritimes since 2004, according to Smith.
7. Arctic communities face unusual heatwave
A multi-day heatwave in August struck Canada’s north, sending temperatures above 30 C. The temperature in Inuvik in the Northwest Territories peaked at 34.8 C on Aug. 7, the highest recorded in the town’s history. The temperature dropped to 27 C at midnight.
Other northern communities also faced extreme heat, including Aklavik and Fort McPherson. Smith said this heatwave “highlights the accelerating changes transforming the most remote parts of the world.”
Peak temperatures soared 10 to 15 C higher than normal around Aug. 6, in the southern parts of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, in the far north of the Northwest Territories, spreading eastward towards regions of Nunavut before dropping after Aug. 14.
6. Southern Ontario’s summer of floods
These sporadic and heavy downpours “highlighted how uneven rainfalls can be, and the sheer volume that can fall in a short amount of time,” Smith said. London saw 50 to 60 millimetres of rain over a span of four hours, while Toronto saw 25 millimetres in less than one hour.
Flash flooding submerged the Don Valley Parkway on July 16, “prompting rescues and stranding vehicles,” Smith said. Just weeks later on Aug. 17 and 18, a slow-moving, low-pressure system prompted a tornado just south of Kitchener, and torrential downpours hit Mississauga and parts of Toronto.
These events brought the combined cost of flooding throughout the region to more than $1 billion this year, with the Aug. 17 and 18 downpours becoming one of the most devastating weather events in the region.
5. Billion-dollar hailstones: Calgary’s costliest weather disaster
Two thunderstorms on Aug. 5 unleashed devastating baseball-sized hail and “wind-driven ice chunks the size of hen eggs,” in northern Calgary. The storms marked Calgary’s second billion-dollar hailstorm in just five years, following the city’s hailstorm in June 2020.
Vehicles, roofs, and homes were damaged. Nearly 130,000 insurance claims were filed from this event alone. The hail left scars on the land that were visible from space, according to Environment Canada. The $2.8 billion in damages make for the costliest hailstorm in Canadian history and the costliest weather event of 2024.
4. Atmospheric rivers deliver double blow to British Columbia
Strong and long-lasting atmospheric rivers contributed to “dangerous flooding, deadly landslides, and road washouts,” across southwestern B.C. in January and October, said Smith.
“Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow regions of the atmosphere that transport heat and moisture from the tropics to the Earth’s polar regions,” Smith said. “Each year, many atmospheric rivers reach the coastal B.C., typically delivering beneficial precipitation that replenishes mountain snow-pack and water supply.”
“Flooding affected homes, roads, and agricultural land, and caused problems for voters heading to the polls for the provincial election.”
Mudslides and drownings took five lives, highlighting the sometimes destructive nature of atmospheric rivers.
3. Western Canada plunged into January deep freeze
British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan saw temperatures of -40 C, with wind chill values reaching below -50 C. Unusually, the coastal mountains of B.C. “acted as a dam to the frigid air that pushed its way south,” keeping the coldest air temperatures from reaching the shores of the Pacific.
Flights were cancelled, roads were pathless, and emergency services were overwhelmed with calls. Alberta issued its first-ever emergency power alert, asking residents to conserve power, as the power grid reached its breaking point due to the cold.
The cold spell claimed at least 36 lives in British Columbia and caused an estimated $180 million in damages mostly from water damage caused by frozen and burst pipes, according to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification, which analyzes insurance claims.
2. Central Canada bears the brunt of the 2024 hurricane season
Ontario and Quebec received the brunt of tropical cyclone impacts this year.
Remnants from hurricanes Debby and Beryl tracked inland and caused historic flooding in Quebec.
Beryl hit first, arriving in Quebec on July 10, causing flash flooding in Montreal and leaving 12,000 people without power. The storm tragically claimed a young boy’s life.
Debby hit a month later on Aug. 9, damaging 170 roads and flooding more than 1,000 homes. Debby became Quebec’s costliest weather disaster in history.
1. From heatwave to wildfires: Jasper’s summer inferno
A mix of extreme heat and lightning sparked increased wildfire activity and devastated Jasper National Park on July 22. A lightning storm in temperatures above 30 C sparked two wildfires near Jasper that grew rapidly and destroyed 358 structures, including homes and a historic church.
While early evacuations saved lives, one firefighter died fighting the blaze.
There was $880 million in insured losses, making it Canada’s second-costliest wildfire disaster. “A beloved Canadian treasure now bears permanent scars, its landscape forever changed by the largest wildfire in its history,” Smith said.
These extreme weather events “serve as a powerful reminder of nature’s capacity to shape our lives, leaving lasting imprints on our landscapes, communities, and collective memories,” Smith said.
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