The fingerprints of climate change are all over the supercharged weather witnessed this year in Nova Scotia 害羞草研究所� and the rest of the country 害羞草研究所� from raging wildfires to devastating flooding.
A series of punishing thunderstorms dumped up to 250 millimetres of rain on Nova Scotia this weekend, killing at least two people and damaging infrastructure across the province. About two months ago, nearly 250 square kilometres of land was scorched by record wildfires. The province is also experiencing summer temperatures that are warmer than usual.
There is a correlation between rising temperatures, wildfires and heavier rainfall, said Kent Moore, an atmospheric physics professor at the University of Toronto.
Rising temperatures lead to drier conditions, increasing the risk of wildfires, he said, but the warmer weather also augments the atmosphere害羞草研究所檚 ability to hold moisture, leading to heavier downpours that can cause flooding.
Four people, including two children, were reported missing Saturday when the two vehicles they were travelling in were submerged in water northwest of Halifax. RCMP on Monday said they recovered the body of a 52-year-old man from Windsor, N.S., in the main search area northwest of Halifax, while the second person害羞草研究所檚 remains were found 害羞草研究所渂y civilians害羞草研究所� on shore in a tidal area in the neighbouring county.
The heavy rain left behind a trail of 25 damaged or destroyed bridges, and about 50 wrecked roads.
Nova Scotia is about two degrees warmer than usual for this time of the year, Moore said. And as Nova Scotia and the rest of the planet heat up, the atmosphere害羞草研究所檚 ability to hold water vapour increases, he added.
害羞草研究所淲ater vapour is what produces clouds, and also produces rain. It is like an engine for weather.害羞草研究所�
The last time Nova Scotia got more than 250 mm of rain 害羞草研究所� 296 mm fell on Aug. 15-16, 1971 害羞草研究所� hurricane Beth hit the province. But Nova Scotia might not have to wait another 50 years for a similar weather event, Moore said, as extreme weather becomes more frequent.
害羞草研究所淪cientists have predicted for many, many years that as we continue to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we害羞草研究所檙e going to see a warming, and that will probably lead to more extreme conditions,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淲hen we talk about global warming, the impacts of that changing or increasing temperature, is we害羞草研究所檙e going to see more fluctuations, we害羞草研究所檙e going to see extreme events 害羞草研究所� extreme dry events, and also extreme rain events. And that害羞草研究所檚 what Nova Scotia has seen so far this year.害羞草研究所�
Each of the weather events 害羞草研究所� wildfires, heat and floods 害羞草研究所� is unusual and each does not necessarily follow the other, said John Clague, a professor of geosciences at Simon Fraser University, in Burnaby, B.C.
害羞草研究所淏ut our changing climate is having an impact on all of them,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淵ou begin to see the picture emerging that our changing climate is playing a role in the number and severity of these events. It害羞草研究所檚 getting increasingly hard to deny that害羞草研究所檚 happening.害羞草研究所�
Joseph Desloges, a professor at University of Toronto害羞草研究所檚 earth sciences department, said the planet is on track to record one of the hottest years since scientists started documenting temperatures.
害羞草研究所淒on害羞草研究所檛 be mistaken,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭here have been heat waves before throughout history, but it害羞草研究所檚 the persistence and the extreme nature of some of these that is concerning.害羞草研究所�
While climate change will bring about a more 害羞草研究所渆nergetic atmosphere,害羞草研究所� he said, this year is seeing a double whammy with El Ni帽o 害羞草研究所� characterized by warmer temperatures and wetter conditions 害羞草研究所� and global warming, making the weather events drastic.
Clague said warmer oceans are implicated in the severe rain, from post-tropical storm Fiona, which hit the Maritimes in September 2022, to flooding over the weekend.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e always had storms that come in from the Atlantic and the Pacific,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淏ut if the air is warmer, it can hold more moisture. When those moisture-laden air masses reach the coastline, they害羞草研究所檙e going to dump more rain and you害羞草研究所檙e going to have a greater likelihood of more severe flooding than you would otherwise.害羞草研究所�
Moore said every part of Canada is experiencing its own extreme weather condition right now, from record-high temperatures to wildfires, to rainfall. Montreal saw flooding from heavy rain about two weeks ago, and wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta have been fatal for firefighters, with smoke from the blazes reaching parts of the United States.
害羞草研究所淭he whole point is that the climate is warming up. The individual manifestations of that will be different,害羞草研究所� Moore said. 害羞草研究所淏ut, all parts of the country are experiencing extreme events.害羞草研究所�
Just as parts of Canada are seeing extreme weather this year, so is the world, he said. Heavy downpours along with deadly flooding hit parts of the United States, South Korea, India, Japan, China and Turkey. Greece is seeing devastating wildfires, while parts of Europe are experiencing some of the hottest temperatures they害羞草研究所檝e ever had.
Canada and 196 other countries agreed to set national targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the planet from warming up more than two degrees Celsius on average compared with pre-industrial levels in the 2015 Paris accord. Scientists across the world warned of extreme weather as global temperatures rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, Moore said.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e below 1.5 C and we害羞草研究所檙e seeing these extreme events. What happens at 1.5 or two degrees?害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 what we need to be really concerned about.害羞草研究所�
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
