OTTAWA, ON – Environment and Climate Change Canada has analyzed the heat waves that impacted Canada in June and July using its Rapid Extreme Weather Event Attribution system. The system uses climate models to compare today’s climate to a pre-industrial one to explain how much human-caused climate change affected each heat wave’s likelihood. Using this system, climate scientists analyzed the heat waves and determined, in all instances, that human-caused climate change made these heat waves much more likely. This means that human influence on the climate made these events at least 2 to 10 times more likely to happen. Understanding the causes and risks of extreme weather events can help Canadians make informed decisions that protect the health, safety, and long-term well-being of our communities. Prolonged heat waves are a major contributor to more intense wildfires across Canada. 

Additional coverage by Alesia Passafiume (Canadian Press) in CBC News: Canadians should be prepared for more wildfires and hurricanes: Environment Canada