Environment Canada has released its annual list of top 10 weather events. Here’s the list for 2025:
1. Canada’s second-worst wildfire year on record
More than 89,000 square kilometres of land was burned across Canada, largely in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It was not a single event, but successive waves of hot, dry and sometimes windy weather that scorched earth or left communities under a smoky haze.
2. Drought deepens across much of the country
Like a record wildfire year, Canada’s drought issue wasn’t specific to one event or location.
In Dawson Creek, B.C., residents were warned to conserve water with only 150 days left of stored water in September. While, much farther east in parts of the St. Lawrence River, boats sat stranded in mudflats.
3. Powerful thunderstorms sweep central and eastern Ontario
A weekend thunderstorm knocked out power to tens of thousands of people in central and eastern Ontario in late June, washing out roads and felling trees. Some camping in the storm’s path were injured and one person died.
4. May heat wave and dry conditions intensify wildfires in Manitoba
Daytime highs in the province rose above 35 C in mid-May, making forests crisp and ripe for wildfires. A wildfire spread to more than 100,000 hectares in Nopiming Provincial Park, and a fire in Lac du Bonnet killed two people.
5. Major ice storm brings Ontario to a standstill
In late March, Ontario and Quebec were subjected to prolonged freezing rain. It coated everything in thick, clear ice — from trees and blossoms to sagging power lines. Millions of homes lost power and led to the creation of temporary warming shelters.
6. Memorable snowstorms blanket central and Eastern Canada
Snow blanketed Canada’s eastern half, from Ontario to Labrador, with multiple snowstorms through February. The strongest storm hit on Feb. 15 as cities were cleaning up from earlier and lighter conditions with Mirabel, Que., getting 53 cm of snow.
7. Storm havoc sweeps the Prairies
None of the three Prairie provinces were spared from severe thunderstorms on Aug. 20, beginning in southern Alberta.
It wreaked havoc on farmers’ crops and, as it swept through Langham, Sask., dropped hail the size of baseballs with gusting winds reaching 155 kilometres an hour.
8. Arctic Ocean storm surge floods Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T.
On Aug. 30, winds gusting more than 100 kilometres an hour blew ocean waters inward, bringing a surge of more than two-and-a-half metres — the highest recorded in the hamlet. Officials say this was once rare for the Arctic but is becoming more commonplace.
9. Powerful November storm overshadows hurricane season
Atlantic Canada was introduced to what meteorologists call a “weather bomb” at the beginning of November.
The storm peaked as it hit southeastern Newfoundland. 4. Sagona Island fell victim to near-hurricane level winds for nine consecutive hours.
10. Western Canada bakes in record late-summer heat
The summer heat waited until the last weeks of August before really dialling up the temperature. The mercury rose to 40 C for four consecutive days in Lytton, B.C., at the end of August.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2025.
The Canadian Press
