nds76
12-29-2005, 9:47am
While Canadians were spared the particularly brutal weather that was visited on our neighbours to the south this year, Canada had its share of weather extremes in 2005, with floods and storms dominating the list of top weather stories for the year.
For the tenth year, David Phillips, Environment Canada's senior climatologist, has released his list of the Top Ten Weather Stories for 2005. Phillips says 2005 was another warmer than average year and the country's wettest ever, with rain dominating the weather news.
Phillips told Canada AM that his top weather story of the year was the wet, wet, month of June in Alberta.
Three big storms caused rain-swollen rivers to burst their banks, flooding numerous southern Alberta towns and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. In Calgary, one in 10 homes reported damage and 14 municipalities were forced to declare states of emergency, he said.
Rainfall for the month in Calgary measured 247.6 mm, more than three times the normal of 79.8 mm. In other parts of the province monthly rainfalls approached 400 mm.
The number two story, says Phillips, is also about rain and flooding. While flooding in Manitoba is not unusual, it is generally a spring problem and is the result of the melting snow.
But, this year the province was hit with rare summer floods as torrential rains covered the province in June and July. As storm followed storm, rivers and streams recorded their highest summer flows ever. The Churchill River hit its all-time high while the Red River in downtown Winnipeg rose to its second-highest level ever.
Nearly 200 local authorities requested disaster assistance and 22 municipalities declared a state of emergency, says Phillips.
Phillips' No. 3 weather story lasted only an afternoon, but ended up being an expensive disaster for Ontario.
On August 19, southern Ontario was hit by a series of thunderstorms that left a trail of damage that exceeded $500 million, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. It was the second largest loss from one weather event in Canadian history.
According to Phillips, literally dozens of thunderstorms were starting up at any one time, and two tornadoes were unleashed.
Here are Phillips' Nos. 4-10 weather stories:
From a Bummer to a Hummer of a Summer -- the hot, sweaty summer that hit Ontario and souther Quebec
Year of the Hurricane … But not in Canada -- it was a record hurricane season in the Atlantic
April Showers Bring May Floods to the Maritimes -- parts of Nova Scotia suffer through their wettest spring ever
Winter Snow Goes Missing in British Columbia -- no snow meant a lousy ski season for many B.C. resorts
Atlantic Canada's Week of Snow -- three big blizzards buried Atlantic Canada in mid-January
November's Nasty Weather Brew -- November 9 was a wild weather day in Ontario. Temperatures climbed to a spring-like 20°C in Windsor, Ottawa was hit with freezing rain, Barrie had snow and Hamilton was hit by rare tornado.
B.C.'s Tropical Punch -- A warm weather system that originated in Hawaii bathed B.C. in January, pushing temparatures in some areas up to 18C
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051229/wild_weather051229/20051229?hub=TopStories
For the tenth year, David Phillips, Environment Canada's senior climatologist, has released his list of the Top Ten Weather Stories for 2005. Phillips says 2005 was another warmer than average year and the country's wettest ever, with rain dominating the weather news.
Phillips told Canada AM that his top weather story of the year was the wet, wet, month of June in Alberta.
Three big storms caused rain-swollen rivers to burst their banks, flooding numerous southern Alberta towns and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. In Calgary, one in 10 homes reported damage and 14 municipalities were forced to declare states of emergency, he said.
Rainfall for the month in Calgary measured 247.6 mm, more than three times the normal of 79.8 mm. In other parts of the province monthly rainfalls approached 400 mm.
The number two story, says Phillips, is also about rain and flooding. While flooding in Manitoba is not unusual, it is generally a spring problem and is the result of the melting snow.
But, this year the province was hit with rare summer floods as torrential rains covered the province in June and July. As storm followed storm, rivers and streams recorded their highest summer flows ever. The Churchill River hit its all-time high while the Red River in downtown Winnipeg rose to its second-highest level ever.
Nearly 200 local authorities requested disaster assistance and 22 municipalities declared a state of emergency, says Phillips.
Phillips' No. 3 weather story lasted only an afternoon, but ended up being an expensive disaster for Ontario.
On August 19, southern Ontario was hit by a series of thunderstorms that left a trail of damage that exceeded $500 million, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. It was the second largest loss from one weather event in Canadian history.
According to Phillips, literally dozens of thunderstorms were starting up at any one time, and two tornadoes were unleashed.
Here are Phillips' Nos. 4-10 weather stories:
From a Bummer to a Hummer of a Summer -- the hot, sweaty summer that hit Ontario and souther Quebec
Year of the Hurricane … But not in Canada -- it was a record hurricane season in the Atlantic
April Showers Bring May Floods to the Maritimes -- parts of Nova Scotia suffer through their wettest spring ever
Winter Snow Goes Missing in British Columbia -- no snow meant a lousy ski season for many B.C. resorts
Atlantic Canada's Week of Snow -- three big blizzards buried Atlantic Canada in mid-January
November's Nasty Weather Brew -- November 9 was a wild weather day in Ontario. Temperatures climbed to a spring-like 20°C in Windsor, Ottawa was hit with freezing rain, Barrie had snow and Hamilton was hit by rare tornado.
B.C.'s Tropical Punch -- A warm weather system that originated in Hawaii bathed B.C. in January, pushing temparatures in some areas up to 18C
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051229/wild_weather051229/20051229?hub=TopStories