Climate change will have Canada experiencing milder weather
A recent study conducted by
Karin van der Wiel, a postdoctoral
researcher at Princeton University
and the Geophysical Fluid Mechanics
Laboratory, indicates that
Canada will see milder weather.
The study, which was published on Jan. 18, suggests that Canada will see milder days, which can be defined as having a maximum temperature between 18 and 30 degrees Celsius, precipitation less than one millimetre per day and a daily mean dew point that does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius.
Van der Wiel explained that in order to predict the weather, global climate models were used to simulate the weather all over the world. First, the current weather was simulated, followed by raising greenhouse gas concentrations to simulate the future weather. The difference in the number of mild days between each simulation was determined to be the increased number of mild days for a location.
“Because temperature is expected to rise because of climate change, in the future more days will be over 18 degrees Celcius; therefore, there will be more days with mild weather in the future,” van der Wiel said.
What this means for Canada however, which will come as a disappointment to some, is that there will not be any mild days during the winter.
“In summer there are a few days with mild weather… The increase is about five to 15 days a year at the end of the century (2081 to 2100) depending on where you live,” van der Wiel said.
Van der Wiel said that the difference in the number of mild days will gradually increase; however if it is recorded, there will be a noticeable change.
Mikayla Henry, a student in the early childhood education program at Fanshawe, said that she is concerned for what it could mean for the environment.
“I’m excited [for milder weather]… but it is definitely not good to have milder weather. It’s definitely going to affect nature and the environment,” Henry said.
Van der Wiel said that while mild weather is often met with positive reactions, it still comes with a cost, not only to the environment, but also to human health.
“In the places where we find large decreases, more often summer days will be hot and humid… mild days can no longer break up long heat waves. Also, absence of mild weather may impact construction work, transportation or the holiday industry,” van der Wiel said.
Van der Wiel stressed that what must be addressed is the root cause of milder weather.
“If the increase [in mild weather] is because of less rainfall, this may cause problems for water availability. We must not forget all other changes that come with climate change,” van der Wiel said.
To understand this topic more thoroughly, view the study “Shifting patterns of mild weather in response to projected radiative forcing” in the journal Climatic Change.
The study, which was published on Jan. 18, suggests that Canada will see milder days, which can be defined as having a maximum temperature between 18 and 30 degrees Celsius, precipitation less than one millimetre per day and a daily mean dew point that does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius.
Van der Wiel explained that in order to predict the weather, global climate models were used to simulate the weather all over the world. First, the current weather was simulated, followed by raising greenhouse gas concentrations to simulate the future weather. The difference in the number of mild days between each simulation was determined to be the increased number of mild days for a location.
“Because temperature is expected to rise because of climate change, in the future more days will be over 18 degrees Celcius; therefore, there will be more days with mild weather in the future,” van der Wiel said.
What this means for Canada however, which will come as a disappointment to some, is that there will not be any mild days during the winter.
“In summer there are a few days with mild weather… The increase is about five to 15 days a year at the end of the century (2081 to 2100) depending on where you live,” van der Wiel said.
Van der Wiel said that the difference in the number of mild days will gradually increase; however if it is recorded, there will be a noticeable change.
Mikayla Henry, a student in the early childhood education program at Fanshawe, said that she is concerned for what it could mean for the environment.
“I’m excited [for milder weather]… but it is definitely not good to have milder weather. It’s definitely going to affect nature and the environment,” Henry said.
Van der Wiel said that while mild weather is often met with positive reactions, it still comes with a cost, not only to the environment, but also to human health.
“In the places where we find large decreases, more often summer days will be hot and humid… mild days can no longer break up long heat waves. Also, absence of mild weather may impact construction work, transportation or the holiday industry,” van der Wiel said.
Van der Wiel stressed that what must be addressed is the root cause of milder weather.
“If the increase [in mild weather] is because of less rainfall, this may cause problems for water availability. We must not forget all other changes that come with climate change,” van der Wiel said.
To understand this topic more thoroughly, view the study “Shifting patterns of mild weather in response to projected radiative forcing” in the journal Climatic Change.
