Canadians might remember
2007 as the year that climate change began
biting deep and hard on the home front. At
the top of the world, the dramatic disappearance
of Arctic sea ice - reported in September
- was so shocking that it quickly became our
number one weather story. Indeed, the United
Nations declared the record loss of ice as
one of the world's biggest events. The thinning
and shrinking of the ice, largely a result
of too many consecutive warm years, has had
a profound impact on northern residents -
people, plants and wildlife alike. The disappearance
of water from the Great Lakes system is also
a concern, especially Lake Superior where
water levels in September dipped to their
lowest point since measurements began in 1900.
In many ways, the record loss of ice and water
is more about climate than weather and underlines
that climate change is beginning to affect
Canada in a very real way.
At times in 2007, the West had too much weather.
Residents on the Prairies witnessed a record
number of severe summer weather warnings,
with tornadoes, intense rainfalls, wind storms
and hail storms. August's destructive hailstorm
in Dauphin, Manitoba, for example, was only
one of 279 hailers that affected the Prairies
in 2007. Crop-hail losses approached $200
million and, for the first time, exceeded
premiums. There was also an enduring high
humidity on the Prairies that became unbearable
and suffocating, culminating in a new Canadian
record humidex of 53 set at Carman, Manitoba.
On the other hand, southern Ontario had very
little weather with one of its driest summers
in over 50 years - part of a ten-month dry
spell that lasted from January to October
and produced record dry conditions in many
locations in the region.
Winters at the beginning and end of the year
provided stark contrasts and two more weather
stories. The shocker of a green Christmas
Day in 2006 in Quebec City, Timmins and Thunder
Bay - where a white Christmas is all but guaranteed
- turned out to be a one-year blip. For snow
and ice enthusiasts, the beginning of 2007
continued the quest for winter. When it did
come, while persistent, it was too late. Nature
tried to make amends at the end of 2007 with
some pre-winter blasts of cold, freezing rain
and lots of snow, making the first half of
December 2007 a white one to remember.
Also dominating this year's top weather stories
were menacing floods in British Columbia.
With a record deep mountain snow pack, the
threat of flooding tormented thousands of
residents for months. But while devastating
floods occurred in the central interior and
north coast, lucky residents along the Fraser
River were spared when a major storm changed
directions at the last moment. Luck was also
a factor in Elie, Manitoba, when Canada's
first documented F5 intensity (the highest
rating on the internationally recognized Fujita
tornado damage scale) tornado with winds above
420 km/h touched down on June 22. Most residents
were away when the tornado struck.
In Atlantic Canada, one of the big stories
was the passage of Hurricane Noel in November.
While no Juan, Noel's winds and waves destroyed
several beaches, wharves and docks. Fortunately,
there were no casualties. People were well
prepared and seemed respectful of the potential
destructive power of the massive storm. While
property damage from weather extremes like
Hurricane Noel cost Canadians millions of
dollars in 2007, the price tag was less than
we've seen in recent years. Thankfully, deadly
tornadoes, devastating hurricanes, widespread
droughts and plagues were a "no show"
for this year.
In general, it was another warm year for
Canada - the 11th year in a row - although
not as warm as it has been in recent years.
The year tied for the second warmest winter
on record, some 3°C warmer than normal.
Summer was the seventh warmest at about 1.0°C
warmer than usual, and from January to November
the national average temperature was around
1.0°C above normal. Every region was warmer,
especially the Eastern Arctic, which experienced
its fourth warmest January-to-November period
on record. Globally, it was also another warm
year according to the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO). Surface temperatures averaged
0.4°C above the annual average of 1961-11000
and the northern hemisphere was estimated
to be the second warmest on record since the
beginning of the 20th century.
+ More
Government of Canada Helps Republic of Korea
Clean Up Major Oil Spill
OTTAWA, Ontario, December 29 2007 - The Government
of Canada is providing assistance to the Republic
of Korea following a request on December 23
from the South Korean government over a recent
oil spill on the country's west coast.
"Canada is pleased to help our friends
in a time of need," said Environment
Minister John Baird. "Environment Canada's
experts are some of the best in the world
when it comes to dealing with serious incidents
like oil spills. Canada is ready and willing
to work with our international partners like
the United Nations to contain this environmental
emergency."
"Canada and South Korea have enjoyed
more than forty years of strong, mutually
beneficial relations," said Maxime Bernier,
Minister of Foreign Affairs. "Canada
is ready to assist South Korea with this challenge."
Canadahas already deployed emergency officers
from Environment Canada and a member of the
Canadian Coast Guard. These Canadian experts
will provide training to the Korean team working
on the oil spill clean up, as well as helping
to coordinate clean-up efforts.
The Canadians will work as part of an international
environmental assessment team coordinated
by the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP) and the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
