(Montreal) Canadians can expect a hot summer, announces Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The agency could not announce expected precipitation, but several conditions point to another major wildfire season.
In Canada, temperatures will be above seasonal norms during the summer season. Remember that the summer of 2023 was the hottest in history. The summer of 2023 was also Canada’s worst wildfire season.
British Columbia will be an exception. Meteorologists foresee temperatures generally close to seasonal norms or slightly above on the west coast.
Wildfire season is difficult to predict, but Environment Canada expects precipitation levels to be below normal during the summer months across most of Canada.
Precipitation in recent weeks in the central and eastern Prairies, Ontario and Quebec has provided temporary relief to these regions, but the long-term water deficit across Canada remains. Heat waves, strong winds and drought are all factors that trigger wildfires. Alberta and British Columbia are already experiencing forest fires.
This year, four new maps will go online in July to track fine smoke particles over a 72-hour period. The Environment Canada app will also send air quality alerts.