Heatwaves and Wildfires Sweep Across Canada

Unusual weather pattern called an “omega block” has brought high temperatures up to 35 degrees above average in western Canada, including an 88-degree reading in Hay River, Northwest Territories, where highs should be in the lower to mid-50s this time of year. The extreme warmth is caused by a dramatic northward meandering of the jet stream, which brought hot, sinking air that dried out and heated up further, deflecting any inclement weather and squashing attempts at cloud cover. While it’s impossible to assert that these specific record readings were caused by human-induced climate change, it is accurate to state that episodes of unseasonable heat are made more frequent, probable and intense due to human action.