Worst climate change impacts will be in these Ontario cities and towns: report
Published April 1, 2024 at 11:57 am
Ontario is home to eight of the 10 highest-risk areas for climate change in Canada, according to a new report.
As Canada just experienced its warmest winter on record, the impacts of climate change are front and centre.
And southern Ontario cities face some of the worst climate change impacts due to temperature increases, according to a report from online casino site Bonus Finder. The report looked at statistics to determine the cities and towns with the best and worst odds against climate change in the 2050s.
Looking at the estimated mean annual temperature, annual number of heatwaves, average length of heatwaves, annual days where the temperature exceeds 30 C, and annual rain and snow days, the report came up with a “climate change score” for cities across Canada.
The score determined the worst places to live in Canada.
Parry Sound, a cottage country town about 225 km north of Toronto, came out as the worst community in Canada, according to the report.
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The town is predicted to see annual mean temperatures rise by 2.16 C during the 2050s. The number of very hot days (reaching over 30 C) will increase by 17 days per year, making up a total of 27 annual very hot days. Parry Sound can also expect 2.36 extra instances of heatwaves, each lasting around 2.58 days longer.
St. Thomas, Ontario was next with a 2.61 increase in the number of annual heatwaves, each lasting around 2.37 days longer. In addition to this, the number of annual very hot days in St. Thomas will rise by 24, to a total of 46 days.
Brockville takes third place with average temperatures set to rise by 2.11 C. The city will also see an additional 22 very hot days per year (creating a new total of 42 very hot days per year) and 2.47 more instances of heatwaves (each lasting around 2.49 days longer).
Huntsville is fourth with mean annual temperatures set to rise by 2.16 C and an additional 17 very hot days expected. Residents can also expect 2.39 more instances of heatwaves (lasting 2.38 days longer).
In fifth place is Welland with a mean annual temperature increase of 2 C in the 2050s, as well as an extra 23 annual very hot days. These additional extra hot days could see residents of Welland experiencing a total of 47 days over 30 C.
The three other Ontario communities in the top 10 are Leamington, Orillia and Belleville.
There are several reports indicating Canadian cities and towns will be impacted by climate change.
The Climate Atlas of Canada finds Canada’s communities “will experience dramatic increases in the number of hot days and nights as the climate continues to warm.”
A heat map shows areas in southern Ontario will be among the hottest in the country.
A heat map from the Climate Atlas of Canada shows where rising overnight temperatures are happening in Canada. In many places people can no longer count on night-time respite from summer heat.
A report from Natural Resources Canada also finds that Canada’s climate is changing and the impacts are being felt across regions and sectors.
Higher temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns; extreme weather events, such as floods and heatwaves; and rising sea levels are just some of the changes already affecting the country.
These impacts are “especially pronounced in the areas of infrastructure, human health, natural resources and the functioning of ecosystems,” Natural Resources Canada states.
For the complete study from Bonus Finder, see the post here.
Lead photo of Parry Sound: Scott Fleming
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