Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather across the globe—including storms

Climate change is intensifying extreme weather globally, with warmer temperatures providing more energy for storms. In Canada, this manifests as more frequent and severe convective storms, including hailstorms, windstorms, and hurricanes. Significant economic losses have already occurred, such as a $3.2 billion hailstorm in Calgary in 2024. Regional projections indicate increased storm intensity in the Prairies, eastern Canada, and Atlantic Canada, while the Pacific coast faces a higher likelihood of extreme atmospheric river events. Adaptation needs include improved forecasting, updated building codes for wind and hail resilience, and revised land-use policies to move development away from high-risk areas.

• Severe storms are causing massive financial losses in Canada, exemplified by a Calgary hailstorm in August 2024 that resulted in over $3.2 billion in insured losses, making it the second costliest extreme weather event in the country's history.
• Windstorms are a primary driver of catastrophic losses in Ontario and Quebec, with approximately two thirds of such losses between 2008 and 2021 attributed to them, including the 2022 Derecho which caused about $1 billion in insured losses.
• Regional projections for Canada indicate more severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in the Prairies and eastern regions, increased atmospheric instability in southern Quebec, and higher storm intensity in central Alberta.
• On the Pacific coast, climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of atmospheric rivers, raising the probability of events similar to the 2021 B.C. flooding and landslides by 45 to 60 per cent.
• Atlantic hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly and are more likely to reach Canadian coasts; it is now twice as likely for an Atlantic hurricane to intensify from category 1 to a major hurricane (category 3 or higher) within 24 hours compared to the 1970s and 80s.
• Canada requires urgent adaptation measures, including enhancing building codes for wind and hail-resilient roofing, improving forecasting and alert systems, and using land-use regulations to direct housing away from storm-prone areas.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2025). Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather across the globe—including storms. https://climateinstitute.ca/news/fact-sheet-climate-change-and-storms/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather across the globe—including storms. 2025. https://climateinstitute.ca/news/fact-sheet-climate-change-and-storms/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather across the globe—including storms |date=22 April 2025 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/news/fact-sheet-climate-change-and-storms/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2025climate, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather across the globe—including storms}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/news/fact-sheet-climate-change-and-storms/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }