A new study found that 335 million ha (828 million ha) burned worldwide in 2025, the second-lowest global wildfire total since 2002 and 16% below the long-term average. Despite that, 2025 became the costliest year on record for insured wildfire losses globally, with more than 300 000 evacuations and over 90 fatalities linked to major fires in Canada, the United States, Europe, and South Korea.
NOAA and long-range atmospheric forecast models are increasingly showing early El Niño-related circulation signals over North America as forecasters continue monitoring a developing transition away from ENSO-neutral conditions during summer 2026.
A 40-year-old firefighter lost his life after a sudden medical emergency while battling a wildfire in Moschelle in Annapolis County on May 21, 2026.
The Northern Tornadoes Project confirmed Saskatchewan’s first tornado of 2026 after an EF0 landspout touched down near Disley, west of Regina, on May 22, while additional surveys in Ontario and Alberta raised Canada’s confirmed tornado count to 11 this year.
A major spring storm developing over Alberta will bring widespread damaging winds, rain, and localized snowfall across parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan beginning Wednesday night, May 13, 2026, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) warns.
Vancouver reached 23.9°C (75°F) on Monday, May 4, 2026, breaking the city’s daily maximum temperature record of 22.2°C (72°F) set in 1898. Multiple communities across British Columbia also set daily temperature records.
A bright fireball entered the atmosphere above Vancouver Island, Canada, at 07:12 UTC on April 29, 2026, before fragmenting above the Pacific Ocean west of Yuquot. NASA placed the object’s speed at 29.5 km/s, or about 106 200 km/h (65 900 mph), and its final visible altitude at 62 km (38.6 miles).
A reactivated landslide in Old Fort, northeastern British Columbia, Canada, on April 20, 2026, prompted authorities to issue an evacuation order affecting approximately 150 residents. The movement damaged critical infrastructure, including the closure of the main access road, while Emergency Support Services coordinated evacuations and opened a reception center. Rainfall forecast over the next 48 hours introduces additional risk for slope instability.
A major late-season winter storm is forecast to impact northern Manitoba, Canada, beginning Wednesday evening, April 22, 2026, bringing 30–50 cm (12–20 inches) of snow, freezing rain, and strong winds. The system will produce rain or freezing rain across central regions before transitioning to heavy snow through Saturday, creating hazardous travel conditions and increasing the risk of power outages.
A cross-country storm is forecast to affect multiple regions of Canada from March 23 through midweek, bringing snow to western and central areas before spreading mixed precipitation and stronger impacts into parts of Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. The highest-confidence snowfall totals, reaching 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 inches) in parts of Newfoundland and elsewhere in Atlantic Canada, are expected to create hazardous travel conditions, reduced visibility, and local transport disruptions.
