Thank you for tuning in to our monthly newsletter. Our goal is to provide updates on new climate change data products, tools, and guidance documents available on ClimateData.ca.
This month, we are focussing on extreme precipitation and flooding. Flooding is Canada’s costliest natural disaster, and in many locations climate change is expected to increase the risk of floods. Here you will find some interesting links to resources and datasets that speak to heavy rainfalls and flooding.
If you or your organization have information you would like see promoted in our newsletter, please contact us at [email protected].
Intense precipitation events can deliver large amounts of rain over short periods of time. This rain can overwhelm storm drains, flood basements, wash out bridges and roads, and trigger landslides. To reduce the risk of these impacts, engineers, hydrologists, planners and other decision makers rely on accurate information about historic extreme rainfall events. IDF data are one important source of this information.
However, IDF information based solely on an analysis of historical data is not suitable for understanding future risks. Furthermore, because our climate is already changing, historical IDF data may not even be well suited for the present day.
We are very happy to announce the launch of new IDF data on ClimateData.ca that represent the influence of projected climate change. The new data have been computed using the temperature-scaling method outlined in this Learning Zone article.
Primer on Climate Change and Extreme Precipitation
Learn what current research suggests regarding extreme precipitation in a changing climate, and why ECCC recommends temperature scaling to estimate future extreme precipitation intensities.
We are very happy to announce the launch of new IDF data on ClimateData.ca that represent the influence of projected climate change.
As part of a national effort to identify and address the risks associated with climate change, including flooding caused by extreme precipitation, Parks Canada approached the Canadian Centre for Climate Services (CCCS) for help extracting relevant climate change data for trends and projections of key variables at each national park, national marine conservation area, and national historic site across Canada.
Downscaled CMIP6 Projections
We are putting the final touches on new downscaled temperature and precipitation data, featuring CMIP6 model data!
The new dataset will introduce users to SSPs – shared socio-economic pathways – the latest suite of future scenarios. Our article on SSPs explains how these differ from the older RCP scenarios.
The Indigenous Knowledges section of the Climate Atlas of Canada offers a unique suite of climate change maps, articles, and videos.
This map shows changes in the five-day maximum precipitation amounts under a high-carbon emissions scenario.
Zooming in to Kluane First Nation in the Yukon, you can see that climate models project that, on average, these heavy precipitation events will become 22% wetter near the end of this century. What impacts could this have on flooding in this area?
Be sure to stay subscribed so you don’t miss out on future updates and product launches.
Follow us on social media
Have a question? Contact the Support Desk from the Canadian Centre for Climate Services for one-on-one support.