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Climate change, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, is (ClimateData.ca 2024). These heat waves are threatening the safety, well-being, and prosperity of Canadians—even in cities that have historically had more moderate climates, such as Vancouver, Whitehorse, and Halifax.

Globally, 2024 was the , and the past ten years were the ten warmest years on record (World Meteorological Organization 2025). Canada, which is than anywhere else on earth, is suffering the consequences of the overheating climate (McBean 2024).

Climate change fuels heat waves

• Climate change increases the frequency of extreme heat, and makes heat waves hotter, , and (Environment and Climate Change Canada 2025; Borenstein 2024; Hagemann 2018).
• Canada is warming as the global average, and Canada’s Arctic is warming (Government of Canada 2019; Rantanen et al. 2022). 
• Climate projections show that by the second half of this century, many Canadian cities will see at least on average compared to historical data (Climate Atlas of Canada n.d.).
• The June 2024 heat wave that struck central and Eastern Canada was due to climate change, with temperatures over 10 degrees higher than normal in parts of Quebec and Atlantic Canada (Shingler 2024).

Explore the climate costs tracker to visualize climate-fuelled weather events in Canada.

Climate-fuelled heat makes wildfires worse  

• Climate change the likelihood of extreme fire weather conditions (high temperatures, low humidity, and drought conditions) in Eastern Canada in 2023, and made Québec’s season 50 per cent more intense (World Weather Attribution 2023). 
• Heat waves make it easier for wildfires to start and spread by increasing the likelihood of , the primary cause of wildfires (Pérez-Invernón et al. 2023). They also dry out vegetation, making it (Natural Resources Canada 2024).
• During the , the number of active wildfires rose from six to 175, consuming nearly 79,000 hectares, including the entire town of Lytton (White et al. 2023).
• For more information on climate change and wildfires, please see our wildfires fact sheet.

Climate-fuelled extreme heat is causing rising death rates and health issues across Canada

• A study in found that between 1981 and 2018, 37 per cent of heat-related deaths globally were attributable to climate change (Vicedo-Cabrera et al. 2021). This increased mortality is evident on every continent. 
• include cardiovascular events, respiratory conditions, kidney disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and mental health impacts such as increased anxiety, depression, and aggressive behavior (Bell et. al 2024).
• have been documented during and following heat waves in Canada (Government of Canada 2024).  The 2021 heat wave caused an estimated , making it the deadliest disaster in B.C.’s recorded history (BC Coroners Service 2022). 
• Our research shows that without action on adaptation and health system preparation, B.C. could average 1,370 heat-related deaths per year by 2030 (Beugin et al. 2023).
• Scientists that the 2021 B.C. heat wave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change (Philip et al. 2022).
• A concluded that elevated summer temperatures in Québec are linked to 470 deaths, 225 hospitalizations, 36,000 emergency room visits, 7,200 ambulance transports, and 15,000 calls to Info-Santé every year. 
• With climate change, the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths could double or even quadruple in the province by 2050 (Boudreault et al. 2024). 

The economic burden of climate-fuelled extreme heat is growing

• Our 2021 report The Health Costs of Climate Change projected that the costs of heat-related deaths and reduced quality of life from extreme heat in Canada would range from $3 billion to $3.9 billion per year by mid-century (Clark et al. 2021). 
• Our analysis shows that the 2021 heat wave in B.C. caused $12 million in additional healthcare costs, and that the societal costs from premature deaths were $5.5 billion (Beugin et al., 2023).
• Canada’s manufacturing sector alone could see annual losses of $1-2 billion by 2050, due to the productivity impacts of heat waves on the workforce (Clark et al. 2021).
• Our 2021 report Under Water: The Costs of Climate Change for Canada’s Infrastructure estimated that by mid-century, annual heat-driven damage to roads and railways could increase by over $5 billion and damage to electricity infrastructure could increase by over $1 billion (Ness et al., 2021). 

Governments can act to protect communities and slow further warming

• Scientists have warned that the consequences of climate change will only get worse as the concentration of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere increases (IPCC 2022).
• Governments must act immediately to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming, while adapting and preparing for the health and safety risks from extreme heat.
• Adaptation strategies can improve outcomes for , including the elderly, children, people with chronic illness, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups (Health Canada 2011). 
• Effective adaptation strategies include:
  • Installing indoor cooling devices like heat pumps or air conditioning, and planting green roofs and trees for shade. Our analysis shows these could reduce heat-related deaths and hospitalization 12 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively, in B.C. by the 2030s (Beugin et al. 2023). 
  • Providing employers and the public with information on how to stay safe during extreme heat waves.
  • Sending early heat warnings to allow people, communities and responders to prepare.
  • Designing infrastructure to withstand extreme heat and rainfall, potentially reducing damage costs by 80 per cent by the end of the century, or up to $3.1 billion each year (Ness et al. 2021).
  • in rental housing to protect tenants from extreme heat (Lawton 2025).

Resources

• (Clarke and Otto 2024) 
• (World Meteorological Organization, 2023)
• (Government of Canada 2024)
• (PreparedBC 2024)
• (Climate Atlas of Canada 2024)

Experts available for comment and background information on this topic:

• Ryan Ness is Director of Adaptation research at the 91ɫ��Ƭ and the lead researcher on the Institute’s Cost of Climate Change series. Ryan est également disponible pour des entretiens en français.  (Eastern Time, English and French).

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: 

Claudine Brulé
Communications and Media Relations Specialist
cbrule@climateinstitute.ca
(514) 358-8525