Record-setting wild weather: Canada’s top 10 weather stories of 2023

December 20, 2023 – Gatineau, Quebec

This year’s 28th edition of the country’s top weather stories features record wildfires and their billowing smoke, blistering heat, flooding, heavy rainfall, droughts, and hurricanes. These unprecedented events resulted in the loss of lives, as well as personal and economic impacts for Canadians across the country.

David Phillips, Senior Climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, presented Canada’s top 10 weather stories today. Each story is ranked from one to 10, according to several factors, including the impact they had on Canada and Canadians, the extent of affected areas, associated economic impacts, and the longevity of events as a top news story.

The top 10 weather stories of 2023 are:

1. The year for record wildfires
2. Canada cloaked in smoke
3. Hottest summer—On Earth and in Canada
4. Deadly deluge in Nova Scotia
5. Canada dry in the West and wet in the East
6. Hurricane Lee… No Fiona but more than a windy day
7. April glaze storm in Montréal–Ottawa: more beast than beauty
8. Cold spells in a warm year
9. Flooded out: Quebec’s record wet July
10. Canada Day tornado in Alberta

Record wildfires claim the top spot this year after Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast felt the impacts as out-of-control fires burned across Canada this past summer. Tragically, several firefighters died on duty, homes burned to the ground, and a record total of woodland—seven times the yearly average—was destroyed.

Science shows that human-caused climate change is affecting the frequency, duration, and intensity of many climate-related hazards and disasters around the world, including in Canada.

Working together to reduce risk from the changing climate will keep Canadians and their communities safer and healthier. That is why the Government of Canada released Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy in June 2023.

The Strategy lays out a framework to reduce the risk of climate-related disasters, improve health outcomes, protect nature and biodiversity, build and maintain resilient infrastructure, and support a strong economy and workers.

Canadians are encouraged to monitor weather conditions closely this holiday season and throughout the coming new year by downloading the WeatherCAN mobile application or visiting Canada.ca/weather.