What is driving Canada’s extreme summer weather?

Canada is seeing a mix of severe weather this summer, including flooding in Manitoba, heat waves in parts of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, and wildfire activity in the North. Meteorologists say the pattern reflects a combination of natural climate variability and broader warming trends, rather than a single cause. Experts cited in the article point to the jet stream and the development of El Niño as important influences. A stalled jet stream can help lock in heat, drought or storms in different regions, while El Niño is expected to affect conditions more noticeably later in the year, especially in winter. Forecasters say it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about the full season. Climate scientists also say humancaused climate change is raising the baseline for extreme weather. Canada is warming faster than the global average, which can intensify heat and rainfall extremes. Even so, they caution that weather patterns are shaped by several interacting factors, and no single explanation can account for every event.