Severe weather

<div>As wildfires rage on in Western Canada, a communications and broadcasting policy expert says the national weather alerting system should account for a wider range of extreme climate-related events. A fallen tree burns at the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire, in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</div>

Broaden Canada’s weather alert system to account for wildfires, expert urges

As wildfires rage in western Canada, a communications and broadcasting policy expert…

<div>As wildfires rage on in Western Canada, a communications and broadcasting policy expert says the national weather alerting system should account for a wider range of extreme climate-related events. A fallen tree burns at the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire, in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</div>
Air quality advisory continues acrossr Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley, with red sun at dawn Aug. 21, 2023 in Chilliwack. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)

Air quality advisory for Lower Mainland to remain until weather shifts

‘Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations,’ says warning

Air quality advisory continues acrossr Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley, with red sun at dawn Aug. 21, 2023 in Chilliwack. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)
Many Okanagan cities broke single-day temperature records on Tuesday, Aug. 15. (Monique Tamminga/Western News)
Many Okanagan cities broke single-day temperature records on Tuesday, Aug. 15. (Monique Tamminga/Western News)
Portable air conditioners are seen at a store in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Air conditioners ‘a necessity’ as B.C. breaks nearly century-old heat records

Lytton registered the hottest temperature in B.C. — 41.5 C on Monday

Portable air conditioners are seen at a store in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A firefighter directs water on a grass fire burning on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Forecasted winds pose biggest wildfire threat amid heat wave

BC Wildfire Service expects the worst impact of heat to be felt later this week

A firefighter directs water on a grass fire burning on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
People dance and gather at English Bay Beach during a heat wave, in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday, June 21, 2021. Advocates for renters in British Columbia say it’s time to consider setting a maximum temperature for rental housing, to protect already vulnerable tenants from increasingly rising heat. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

As B.C. temperatures soar, advocates call for rules to keep rental housing cool

Municipal bylaws mandate minimum rental unit temperatures not maximum

People dance and gather at English Bay Beach during a heat wave, in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday, June 21, 2021. Advocates for renters in British Columbia say it’s time to consider setting a maximum temperature for rental housing, to protect already vulnerable tenants from increasingly rising heat. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A person cools off in Lynn Creek in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Health authorities as well as local and provincial governments across British Columbia are providing guidance on how best to deal with a sweltering heat wave that began in British Columbia’s southern coast this weekend is expected to expand into the Interior starting today.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Heat wave that hit B.C.’s south coast expected to spread to Interior

Highs in the 30s expected across the southern portions of the province

A person cools off in Lynn Creek in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Health authorities as well as local and provincial governments across British Columbia are providing guidance on how best to deal with a sweltering heat wave that began in British Columbia’s southern coast this weekend is expected to expand into the Interior starting today.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Buildings are seen in floodwater following a major rain event in Halifax on Saturday, July 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Extreme weather risk changing Canada’s insurance industry, raising costs

Unusually high premium hikes happening in the West and parts of Atlantic Canada

Buildings are seen in floodwater following a major rain event in Halifax on Saturday, July 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
Storm clouds pass by the Peace tower and Parliament hill Tuesday August 18, 2020 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Tornado touches down near Ottawa Thursday evening, Environment Canada says

Researchers call for storm-resistant measures in provincial building codes

Storm clouds pass by the Peace tower and Parliament hill Tuesday August 18, 2020 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
FILE - A man with a cooling pad on his forehead takes a nap on a bench on a sweltering day in Beijing, July 24, 2023. At about summer’s halfway point, the record-breaking heat and weather extremes are both unprecedented and unsurprising, hellish yet boring in some ways, scientists say. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

Here’s how hot and extreme the summer has been, and it’s only halfway over

‘How on God’s Earth are we still burning fossil fuels after witnessing all this?’

FILE - A man with a cooling pad on his forehead takes a nap on a bench on a sweltering day in Beijing, July 24, 2023. At about summer’s halfway point, the record-breaking heat and weather extremes are both unprecedented and unsurprising, hellish yet boring in some ways, scientists say. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
Tony Berastegui Jr., 15, right, and his sister Giselle Berastegui, 12, drink water as temperatures are expected to hit 46 C on Monday, July 17, 2023, in Phoenix. Much of the populous U.S. northeast is facing temperatures Friday and Saturday that will feel like 40 C or higher. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Ross D. Franklin

‘Global boiling’ era arrives as U.S. reels under month of extreme heat

July almost certain to be record-breaking, more than 150 million residents under heat alerts

Tony Berastegui Jr., 15, right, and his sister Giselle Berastegui, 12, drink water as temperatures are expected to hit 46 C on Monday, July 17, 2023, in Phoenix. Much of the populous U.S. northeast is facing temperatures Friday and Saturday that will feel like 40 C or higher. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Ross D. Franklin
This summer has seen Environment Canada heat warnings for parts of the country used to baking in the heat, but also in places unaccustomed to extended periods of hot weather. Richar Gallego learns to paddle board on the Peel Basin, in Montreal, Friday, June 30, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Not all heat warnings equal: 5 things about Canada’s hot weather alert system

Environment Canada applies different parameters for different parts of the country

This summer has seen Environment Canada heat warnings for parts of the country used to baking in the heat, but also in places unaccustomed to extended periods of hot weather. Richar Gallego learns to paddle board on the Peel Basin, in Montreal, Friday, June 30, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
The cacophony caused by raging wildfires, searing heat and record-setting floods is caused by climate change, as world temperatures persistently increase, say experts. People stand on a hill surveying cars abandoned in floodwater in a mall parking lot following a major rain event in Halifax on Saturday, July 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Climate change: Correlation between wildfires, flooding in Nova Scotia

‘What happens at 1.5 or two degrees, that’s what we need to be really concerned about’

The cacophony caused by raging wildfires, searing heat and record-setting floods is caused by climate change, as world temperatures persistently increase, say experts. People stand on a hill surveying cars abandoned in floodwater in a mall parking lot following a major rain event in Halifax on Saturday, July 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
A person tries to cool off in the shade as temperatures are expected to hit 116-degrees Fahrenheit, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Phoenix. The extreme heat scorching Phoenix set a record Tuesday, the 19th consecutive day temperatures hit at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Tornado damages Pfizer plant, as scorching heat and floods sock US

Large manufacturing complex was damaged by twister in North Carolina

A person tries to cool off in the shade as temperatures are expected to hit 116-degrees Fahrenheit, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Phoenix. The extreme heat scorching Phoenix set a record Tuesday, the 19th consecutive day temperatures hit at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Firefighters remove fallen tree branches from damaged parked car after a powerful storm, in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. A powerful storm with strong winds and heavy rain hit Croatia and Slovenia on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring several others. (AP Photo)

Croatian firefighter 6th person to die after storm sweeps the Balkans

100s injured from fallen trees, objects blown by swirling winds though Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia

Firefighters remove fallen tree branches from damaged parked car after a powerful storm, in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. A powerful storm with strong winds and heavy rain hit Croatia and Slovenia on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring several others. (AP Photo)
Storm clouds move across the sky as Environment Canada issued tornado warnings Thursday, July 13, 2023 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Tornado touched down north of Montreal, no injuries or damage

Environment Canada confirmed one tornado and suspects a second in the region near the city

Storm clouds move across the sky as Environment Canada issued tornado warnings Thursday, July 13, 2023 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
A woman uses an umbrella to take shelter from the sun as she walks in downtown Rome, Thursday, July 13, 2023. An intense heat wave has reached Italy, bringing temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius in many cities across the country.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Heat wave Cerberus has southern Europe in its jaws

Temperatures expected reach the mid-40s in some Mediterranean areas

A woman uses an umbrella to take shelter from the sun as she walks in downtown Rome, Thursday, July 13, 2023. An intense heat wave has reached Italy, bringing temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius in many cities across the country.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Ottawa police say they are responding to a tornado in the city’s south end. A close-up of an Ottawa Police officer’s badge is seen on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Ottawa officials say tornado touched down in city suburb of Barrhaven

Environment Canada has issued a tornado warning for the entire National Capital Region

Ottawa police say they are responding to a tornado in the city’s south end. A close-up of an Ottawa Police officer’s badge is seen on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Township 7 manager Cody Karman said the Langley winery and its vineyards escaped the worst effects of last year’s winter weather, but didn’t emerge completely unscathed, either. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

A B.C. winery managed to escape the worst of a very bad winter, but isn’t unscathed

‘Very peculiar’ weather dealt a blow to B.C. growers

Township 7 manager Cody Karman said the Langley winery and its vineyards escaped the worst effects of last year’s winter weather, but didn’t emerge completely unscathed, either. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)
Beekeepers tend to hives in 2020. Beekeepers, aquaculturalists and federally licensed marijuana and hemp growers can now apply for special funding to help protect against extreme heat. (Chelsea Thomsen/Special to Black Press)

Province expands extreme weather funding program to include beekeepers, pot growers

Growers can apply for up to $35,000 in cost-sharing program to protect against heat, floods, fire

Beekeepers tend to hives in 2020. Beekeepers, aquaculturalists and federally licensed marijuana and hemp growers can now apply for special funding to help protect against extreme heat. (Chelsea Thomsen/Special to Black Press)