Ontario Construction News staff writer
Environment and Climate Change Canada marked the completion of the $180.4 million, eight-year project to install 32 weather radars and one training radar, across Canada.
“With the changing climate, it is essential to provide our meteorologists with the technology needed to issue the fastest and most accurate weather forecasts. This reliable, modern network of weather radars will give Canadians more lead time to take appropriate actions to protect themselves, their family, and their property from the effects of severe weather,” said Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
The new network will enhance the ability to track severe weather events, such as tornadoes and hurricanes at an extended range, and to issue earlier severe weather warnings. The expanded coverage area of the newly installed radars now encompasses over four million square kilometers, ensuring that 99 percent of Canadians reside within a 330-kilometer radius of a Canadian radar station.
It’s being called a “paradigm shift” in weather forecasting technology, providing meteorologists with a better ability to predict severe weather occurrences, particularly in densely populated urban centers like the Greater Toronto Area.
The information will be used by sectors including construction, health sciences, environmental management, agriculture, and transportation.
“In light of the escalating frequency and severity of severe weather events attributable to climate change, Canadians are witnessing its impacts firsthand. Timely and accurate weather services are indispensable in our preparedness and adaptation endeavors. Investing in resilient and contemporary radars is not merely a necessity but a cornerstone in ensuring the safety of Canadians,” said Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.