Canada Could Face 5°C Warming by Century’s End, New Climate Report Warns

Canada could face significantly warmer and more extreme weather in the coming decades, according to the newly released second edition of Canada’s Changing Climate Report. The report projects that under a pathway broadly consistent with current global climate policies, Canada’s average temperature could rise by about 5°C by the end of the century compared with the 1850–1900 period.

The report warns that much of Nunavut could experience more than 10°C of warming during winter, while glaciers in western Canada could lose more than 75 per cent of their mass. Heavy precipitation is also expected to become more intense and frequent, while atmospheric rivers could strengthen.

The report says Canada has already warmed nearly twice as fast as the global average since 1970, with the Canadian Arctic warming about three times as fast. It adds that future warming can be limited if global carbon dioxide emissions decline rapidly and reach net zero in the 2070s.