Activate accessible linear format for this web page.
Environment Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada
Skip to content | Skip to institutional links

Common menu bar links

Home > Weather and Meteorology > Severe Weather

Proactive Disclosure

Severe Weather

High winds, blowing snow, and waves from an early winter storm on November 21, 2004 made crossing the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton a very dangerous trip.Helping Canadians protect themselves, their families, and their property from the hazards of severe weather is an important part of Environment Canada's mandate. Alerting the public when such weather is expected to occur enables people to take precautionary action.

The Department issues warnings, watches and special statements through the media for severe weather conditions, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, storm surges, strong winds, high heat or humidity, heavy rain or snow, blizzards, freezing rain and extreme cold.

Find information about severe weather and the Department's alert system here.

Selected Content

  • Atlantic Canada Severe Weather Awareness

    Find information here on severe winter weather in the Atlantic region, practical tips for preparing for poor winter weather and links to other helpful information.

  • Canadian Hurricane Centre

    This centre specializes in providing Canadians with information on storms of tropical origin that affect Canada and its territorial waters including latest hurricane forecasts, along with a wide range of information related to the science of hurricanes.

  • Ice Storm 1998

    Learn about how Ice Storm 1998 made its way through eastern Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick

  • Lightning Hot Spots in Canada

    See how often lightning strikes in your local area, check out our lightning safety tips and tune into our Canada-wide lightning detection network to see lightning as it happens.

  • Prairie Warning and Watch Criteria

    The criteria for watches and warnings are established to meet local and regional needs and may vary slightly from region to region across Canada. These criteria are for the Prairie and Northern Region.

  • Public Weather Warnings for Canada

    When a weather warning, advisory, summary or special weather statement is issued, it is posted here.

  • Reporting Severe Weather

    Discover the forces of nature by becoming a volunteer for the Meteorological Service of Canada as a severe weather watcher.

  • Special Weather Statements and Weather Warnings for the Atlantic Region

    This fact sheet lists some of the more common weather warnings and special weather statements issued to the public by Environment Canada's Atlantic Region Weather Centres.

  • Summer Severe Weather

    Learn about thunderstorms, hail, heat, lightning, tornadoes and wind and how to protect yourself.

  • Winter Severe Weather

    Learn about wind chill, blizzards, winter travel, winter power failure and general precautions to take when conditions become severe or dangerous.

Date Modified: 2007-07-04

Top of page
Important Notices
ecnatw0
Threshold set to: 0.02
Transform Function
Service StrStartTime StrEndTime Processing Time
Total Time 78,903.59375000 78,903.71875000 0.12500000
      ApplicationsVar 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
            DateLastModified 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
            DateLastModified 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      GetUserAgentInfo 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      SubNavigationOld 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
            GetXMLID 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
            GetNavID 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FncCrawler 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FncFileExistsBln 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FixPathVirtual 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FncFileExistsBln 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FixPath 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FncFileExistsBln 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FixPathVirtual 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FncFileExistsBln 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      FixPath 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      ReadFromFile 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      fileExists 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      CheckFileNotToIndex 78,903.59375000 78,903.59375000 0.00000000
      Function TransformXml : /commonWebSol/xslt/mainhomeitem.xslt 78,903.59375000 78,903.64062500 0.04687500
            Function TransformXml : /commonwebsol/xslt/SubLevelLink.xslt 78,903.60937500 78,903.62500000 0.01562500
                  FncFileExistsBln 78,903.60937500 78,903.60937500 0.00000000
                  FixPath 78,903.60937500 78,903.60937500 0.00000000
                  FncFileExistsBln 78,903.60937500 78,903.60937500 0.00000000
                  FixPath 78,903.60937500 78,903.60937500 0.00000000
                  ReadFromFile 78,903.60937500 78,903.60937500 0.00000000
            GetQueryCache 78,903.62500000 78,903.62500000 0.00000000
                  FixPath 78,903.62500000 78,903.62500000 0.00000000
                  FixPath 78,903.62500000 78,903.62500000 0.00000000
                  FncFolderExists 78,903.62500000 78,903.62500000 0.00000000
                  FncFolderExists 78,903.62500000 78,903.62500000 0.00000000
                  ReadFromFile 78,903.62500000 78,903.62500000 0.00000000
            Function TransformXml : /commonwebsol/xslt/relatedlinks.xslt 78,903.62500000 78,903.62500000 0.00000000
            RemoveTag 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
            RemoveTag 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
            RemoveTag 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
      Function TransformXml : /commonWebSol/xslt/CLF2-metadata.xslt 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
      Function TransformXml : /commonWebSol/xslt/CLF2-header.xslt 78,903.64062500 78,903.65625000 0.01562500
            FncFileExistsBln 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
            FixPath 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
            FncFileExistsBln 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
            FixPath 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
            ReadFromFile 78,903.64062500 78,903.64062500 0.00000000
      Function TransformXml : /commonWebSol/xslt/CLF2-trail.xslt 78,903.65625000 78,903.67187500 0.01562500
      ColumnServices 78,903.67187500 78,903.71875000 0.04687500
            FixPathVirtual 78,903.67187500 78,903.67187500 0.00000000
            Function TransformXml : /commonwebsol/xslt/column/sitemap-ODOWv2.xslt 78,903.68750000 78,903.70312500 0.01562500
            FixPathVirtual 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
            Function TransformXml : /commonwebsol/xslt/column/genericdroparea.xslt 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  FncFileExistsBln 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  FixPath 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  FncFileExistsBln 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  FixPath 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  ReadFromFile 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
            FixPathVirtual 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
            Function TransformXml : /commonwebsol/xslt/column/genericdroparea.xslt 78,903.70312500 78,903.71875000 0.01562500
                  FncFileExistsBln 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  FixPath 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  FncFileExistsBln 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  FixPath 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
                  ReadFromFile 78,903.70312500 78,903.70312500 0.00000000
      Function TransformXml : /commonWebSol/xslt/CLF2-footer.xslt 78,903.71875000 78,903.71875000 0.00000000
            FncFileExistsBln 78,903.71875000 78,903.71875000 0.00000000
            FixPath 78,903.71875000 78,903.71875000 0.00000000
            FncFileExistsBln 78,903.71875000 78,903.71875000 0.00000000
            FixPath 78,903.71875000 78,903.71875000 0.00000000
            ReadFromFile 78,903.71875000 78,903.71875000 0.00000000
      ResponseEnd 78,903.71875000 78,903.71875000 0.00000000