Canada braces for wildfires, more named storms than usual this fall

Environment Canada meteorologists said Canada will also see an above-normal hurricane season, with 17-24 named storms expected to hit the country this year.

Canadians are in for an autumn with higher-than-average extreme weather events like wildfires and more serious named storms, government of Canada scientists said in a briefing Monday.

Scientists told reporters that the wildfire season could last well into September, which is unusual since a normal wildfire season in Canada is expected to wrap up by the end of August.

Environment Canada meteorologist Sebastien Chouinard said Canada will also see an above-normal hurricane season, with 17-24 named storms expected to hit Canada by the end of the year. The 30-year average is 14 named storms a year, he said. Most of these storms are expected to largely affect the Atlantic provinces and Quebec.

Of these named storms in 2024, three are expected to be category 3 to 5 hurricanes.

“Recent studies show that climate change likely has an impact on the increase in the number of major category 3 to 5 hurricanes, while at the same time demonstrating that peak winds are becoming more intense,” Chouinard said.

Public Safety Canada officials said there were currently 474 active fires burning across Canada. Of these, 167 are out-of-control fires, including the fire currently active in Jasper, Alta.

“There are a number of out-of-control fires, fires being held and fires under control. All have gone up recently, incrementally due to the recent heat events we’ve continued to see in the West,” Deryck Trehearne of Public Safety Canada said.

Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said wildfires are “top of mind this year for everyone”  right now, but that “we are also in the thick of hurricane season.”