Ottawa had more weather advisories and warnings issued last year than any other Canadian city in the past decade. Here\u0027s why
Data released by Environment and Climate Change Canada reveals Ottawa had 65 weather advisories and warnings in 2022 – more than any other of the country’s major population centres.
The previous high was recorded in 2018 by Quebec City, which has been the subject of the most weather alerts in seven of the last 10 years. What’s more, the rules that govern the issuance of weather alerts vary from place to place in Canada.Photo by ERROL MCGIHONIn Iqaluit, for instance, a weather warning is issued for extreme cold only if the temperature is expected to reach -50C for at least two hours, while in Ottawa it’s issued when the temperature is expected to dip to -35C for at least two hours. In Montreal, the standard is -38C.
Last year, the most damaging weather event in Ottawa was a powerful derecho thunderstorm that swept through the capital region on the afternoon of May 21. Still, the increased volatility in Ottawa’s weather evinced by the data table is broadly consistent with predictions made about the impact of climate change on the National Capital Region.Article content