OTTAWA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Canada is warming at roughly double the global rate which leads to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, federal forecasters said Wednesday.
Experts predicted close to or above normal temperatures across the north and east. In the west, a warm start to the season is expected to be followed by normal to below normal temperatures, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) which presented its seasonal outlook for winter 2024-2025.
"This year we are shifting into a La Niña winter, which often brings distinct weather conditions to Canada," experts said.
As winters trend warmer due to climate change, this year's La Niña is expected to be weaker and less pronounced. However, the cooling effect of La Niña will still be felt in western and northwestern Canada where it is reinforced by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a long-term fluctuation in Pacific Ocean temperatures that strengthens La Niña's cooling impact, said experts.
Starting this winter, ECCC will be able to use its Rapid Extreme Weather Event Attribution system to analyze the connection between human-caused climate change and the odds of extreme cold temperature events.
Work is also underway to develop the system to analyze extreme precipitation. This capability is expected to come online in 2025, said ECCC.
