From hurricanes to hailstorms, 2016 was another wild year in weather. With 2016 now coming to a close, CTVNews.ca looks back on the weirdest, wettest and wickedest weather of the year.
CANADIAN WEATHER
In late March, a freakish -- but sparklingly beautiful -- ice storm left thousands without power in southern Ontario and the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in October left rain-soaked residents of the Maritimes wading through floodwaters. But the wackiest day in Canadian weather, however, may be a 24-hour stretch in early August when provinces such as Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were simultaneously struck with weather ranging from tornadoes to hailstorms. And if the hot summer made us forget what winter can do, a viral video of multiple vehicles colliding in snowy Montreal in early December may be a harbinger for what the Old Farmer’s Almanac says will be a very frigid, white-washed winter.
HURRICANE MATTHEW
Between late September and early October, Hurricane Matthew swept its way through the Caribbean, South America and parts of the United States. Wind speeds reached a staggering 260 km/h and it was the first Category 5 hurricane since 2007 -- the highest ranking a hurricane can get. Millions of people were evacuated from their homes across the hemisphere and more than 900 people are believed to have died because of the storm. Most of that death toll came from Haiti, which suffered the most devastatingly direct hit. In total, the storm is believed to have caused well over $10 billion in damage. The Canadian Maritimes were also battered with heavy rains and flooding as Matthew finally weakened in October. Overall, it was both the year’s deadliest and costliest storm.
EUROPEAN FLOODS
Between May and June of 2016, days of heavy rain caused rivers to spill over their banks in much of France and Germany, as well as in countries such as Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands. Images poured in of famous landmarks threatened by floodwaters. In Paris alone, the iconic Seine River rose nearly 4.5 metres above average, threatening priceless artwork at The Louvre and reaching its highest level in almost 35 years. In the end, at least 18 people are believed to have died in a natural disaster that caused billions of Euros worth of damage. But although the images of flooded European cities made for good news, the deadliest flood of year likely occurred in Sri Lanka in May, where more than 40 people are believed to have been killed.
THUNDERSTORM ASTHMA?
At least six people died following a freak “thunderstorm asthma” incident in Melbourne, Australia in November. After an intense thunderstorm struck the nation’s second largest city, rain-soaked ryegrass exploded pollen into the air. Hundreds of people were subsequently hospitalized after suffering asthma attacks as tiny pollen particles worked their way deep into their lungs. Approximately a third of people who suffered asthma attacks following the storm had never reported experiencing symptoms of the common respiratory condition before. This, however, was not the first time “thunderstorm asthma” struck the city, with at least three other incidents occurring over the past three decades.
TYPHOON TROUBLE
While a dozen typhoons battered Asia during the 2016 Pacific typhoon season, in terms of damage and loss of life, Typhoons Meranti and Lionrock were the worst. In August, Lionrock struck East Asia, causing extensive damage in Japan and North Korea. Hundreds were believed to be killed as a result of the storm, most of them from horrendous flooding in North Korea. If Lionrock was the deadliest typhoon of the year, Meranti was both the strongest and costliest. The storm reached wind speeds as high as 305 km/h and caused more than $2.5 billion in damage as it pummelled the Philippines, Taiwan and China. More than two dozen people were killed by the storm.
RECORD HEAT
Global warming skeptics, this one is for you! According to meteorologists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2016 is gearing up to be the hottest year on record. Global temperature records have been set every month between May 2015 and August of this year. According to NASA, moreover, September narrowly became the hottest September ever while October 2016 is tied with heat records set in 2014 and 2015. If 2016 does clinch the record, which is looking very likely, it will be the third hottest year in a row. NOAA scientists blame man-made climate change as well as El Nino for the lofty global temperatures. The last global cold record was set in 1916. According to NASA, there's a tie for the hottest months ever recorded: July and August 2016. Records have been kept since 1880.
