Three minutes of lethal 206-259-mile-per-hour (331-417km/h) winds left the province of Saskatchewan with a 40-year-long repair bill, when the so-called “Regina Cyclone” tore into the city of Regina on 30 June 1912. The severe storm was, in fact, an F4-rated tornado and it ripped through six blocks of downtown Regina, destroying 500 buildings and leaving a quarter of the city’s population homeless in its wake. Twenty-eight people were killed in what is thought to have been one of the country’s deadliest storms.

Another of the country’s worst disasters occurred 10 years later on 4 October 1922, when a wildfire devastated the Temiskaming District in northeast Ontario. Strong winds fanned small bush fires, set by farmers to clear the land, into a raging inferno which swept through townships, farms and rural communities destroying homes, killing livestock and leaving 43 people dead. Also known as the Haileybury Fire, after the county seat which it completely engulfed, the uncontrollable wildfire incinerated hundreds of square miles.

An unprecedented decade of drought set in across the Southern Plains of the USA and Canada’s Prairie Provinces in 1930, destroying crops and livelihoods. During the debilitating dry spell, high winds caused severe dust storms in the over-ploughed, drought-stricken regions from 1931. These storms engulfed other parts of the country too. The drought, which exacerbated the economic chaos wrought by the global Great Depression, saw a huge social shift as it forced farmers and their families to leave the prairies and find work in cities.

It was during the Dust Bowl era that Canada experienced its deadliest heat wave on record: two weeks of record high temperatures occurred in July 1936, contributing to over 1,000 deaths including more than 200 in Toronto. The blistering heat also struck the US. The next summer was to be a scorcher too: Canada recorded its highest temperature ever (until June 2021) with the mercury soaring to 45°C (113°F) on 5 July 1937 in the towns of Midale and Yellowgrass, Saskatchewan. 

The snow just kept on tumbling on Toronto in December 1944, setting the country’s record for the most snowfall in a single day with over 18 inches (47cm) falling. Large snow drifts were formed by gale-force winds, causing chaos across the city, including forcing factories that were providing war munitions and supplies to close temporarily. A total of 21 people died during the cold snap, which clocked up over 22 inches (57cm) of snow over two days, according to Environment Canada.

Canadians might be known for taking extreme winter conditions in their stride, but no one was ready for the frigid temperatures that the Yukon experienced in February 1947. The dramatic recording at the weather station at Snag Airport, east of the Alaska-Yukon boundary, set the country’s record for the lowest temperature, when it plummeted to -62.8°C (-81°F). It was so cold that weather observer Gordon Toole’s breath turned to snow as he worked.

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The winter of 1949 brought heavy snow falls, which were to cause a major flood when the great thaw began in Manitoba in April 1950. As the snow melted, the Red River kept on rising, peaking at over 30 feet (9m) in Winnipeg after heavy spring rains exacerbated the situation. A disastrous flood hit the city and the Red River Valley area from April until June. The army was called in and the country saw its largest evacuation to date as 100,000 residents were removed from their homes. Estimates put the damage bill at CN$125.5m – the equivalent of around CN$1bn ($791m/£583m) today.

Violent winds and unrelenting rains wreaked havoc in Toronto on 15 and 16 October 1954 when Hurricane Hazel whipped up from the North Carolina coast. The horrific hurricane, which caused major flooding in the city area, washed away roads, bridges and whole neighbourhoods, leaving 1,900 families homeless and leading to many deaths – the official death toll is 81 people. The storm has been noted as the most destructive in Canadian history.

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A series of severe spring snowstorms led to the army being sent in to assist communities in southern Alberta during April and May in 1967, as heavy snow fell on the area. In some parts of the province up to 5ft 9in (175cm) of snow fell. The unusually late blizzards meant cattle were already out to pasture, which led to the deaths of thousands of cows. When the snow finally melted, residents were faced with floods.

Montréalers aren’t easily fazed by the white stuff, but on 4 March 1971 the snow reached another level in what was one of the largest falls the province of Québec has ever recorded. Montréal was completely paralysed by the 18.5-inch (47cm) dump and 68-mile-per-hour (110km/h) winds that swept in. In what was to become known as the Storm of the Century, schools, airports, businesses and all Québec roads were closed. Even the ice hockey team Montréal Canadiens' home game was cancelled. The weather resulted in 30 deaths across Québec, 17 of them in Montréal. In the clear up, a whopping 500,000 truckloads of snow were removed from the city’s streets. 

Capital of Manitoba, Winnipeg was blanketed in unusually early heavy snow in November 1986 in what was one of the biggest snowstorms in the city’s history. A total of 13.7 inches (35cm) of the white stuff fell over an 11-hour period completely incapacitating the city, with vehicles buried beneath the snow and workers unable to commute. It was unusual as the city’s heaviest snowfall usually occurs in March. 

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On 31 July 1987, intense winds and hail walloped Strathcona County and east Edmonton as one of the strongest tornadoes in Canadian history unleashed its devastation. The powerful F4 tornado destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of property and led to the deaths of 27 people with hundreds more injured. The day was to become known as Black Friday by locals and led to an overhaul of the province’s weather warning systems.

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The Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Québec was inundated with water from the Saguenay River in mid-July 1996 when flash floods caused what was to be Canada’s largest overland deluge in the 20th century. Leading up to the catastrophic floods, the area had experienced heavy rainfall that swelled its waterways. The disaster led to 10 deaths with around 12,000 people evacuated from the area. It was Canada's first billion-dollar natural disaster. Today, the events are remembered at La Petite Maison Blanche, a turn-of-the-century house turned museum in Saguenay (formerly Chicoutimi), which survived this flood and a previous one. 

The flood that devastated many communities and damaged around 1,000 homes during April and May 1997 was the worst to affect Manitoba's Red River Valley since 1852. A combination of factors led to the deluge, including heavy rainfall over the previous autumn, heavy snowfall during the winter and rapid melting in April. Floodwater from the Red River also caused other Manitoba rivers to run extremely high. During the crisis, over 7,000 military personnel spent 36 days helping to prevent flood damage and relocate 25,450 evacuees.

An unprecedented ice storm struck Québec in January 1998 in what was to be one of the country’s worst natural disasters. Several days of freezing rain and ice pellets struck the St Lawrence Valley, resulting in 30 deaths and serious destruction to buildings and infrastructure. Widespread and prolonged blackouts compounded the problem as the storm brought Hydro-Québec’s power system almost to the point of collapse. The weight of the ice caused thousands of trees and branches to fall, snapping power lines as they fell.

The first deadly tornado to occur in Canada in 13 years took place on 14 July 2000. The short but violent storm devastated the Green Acres campground on Pine Lake in Alberta with its 186-mile-per-hour (300km/h) winds. Twelve people died in the storm and 140 more were injured when trees were uprooted, and vehicles flattened or flung into the water. The system – which was the country’s fourth deadliest tornado – was sparked by a thunderstorm that was moving across the Alberta Foothills. It was reported that 91 lesser tornadoes broke out through the Canadian Prairies that summer.

Category 2 Hurricane Juan made landfall in Nova Scotia just after midnight on 29 September 2003, after barrelling in from the Atlantic Ocean. The destructive system hit the capital Halifax with its 97-mile-per-hour (157 km/h) winds, torrential rain and storm surges. A state of emergency was declared in the port city, which sustained extensive damage including to its boardwalk, which was torn up by pounding surf. Eight people lost their lives. The unusually warm Atlantic waters that year contributed to the rare, powerful storm.

That wasn’t the end of the region’s extreme weather woes. The following winter brought vicious blizzard conditions across Atlantic Canada during what was nicknamed White Juan. In February 2004, a total of 37.5 inches (95.5cm) of snow were dumped on Halifax. Other parts of Nova Scotia also experienced heavy snow, fierce winds and zero visibility during the blizzard conditions which lasted a few days. On 19 February alone Halifax received 35 inches (88.5cm), nearly double its previous record for snowfall in a single day. It became the largest city in the world to receive such a deep covering.

The most powerful tornado ever to strike Canada took place near Elie, Manitoba, on 22 June 2007. The F5 tornado lasted for 35 minutes and travelled for just over three miles (5.5km) with top wind speeds of between 261 and 317 miles per hour (420-510km/h). Amazingly no one was seriously hurt in the rare storm, although it did hurl a house through the air and felled utility poles in its path.

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Montréal experienced a record one-day snowfall on 27 December 2012, when 18 inches (45.6cm) fell on the city and surrounds, breaking its previous record set in 1971. The extreme weather caused travel disruption in the city, with flights cancelled and many buses and cars marooned in the snow. Snowmobiles were the preferred method of transport until the mammoth task of clearing the snow began. 

When torrential rain combined with the melting snowpack in the Canadian Rockies in June 2013, a deluge headed towards Calgary. A state of emergency was declared and around 80,000 people were evacuated as buildings and roads became completely submerged by floodwater from the swollen Bow and Elbow Rivers. It was the city’s largest flood since 1932, killing five people and wreaking CA$6 billion worth of damage across southern Alberta as a whole. 

Hundreds of wildfires raged in the boreal forests of Canada’s Northwest Territories and BC in July 2014, ignited and spread by exceptional heat and low rainfall. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the area burned was three times higher than the 20-year national average (that's 4.6 million hectares vs the normal 1.5 million hectares). It was the worst wildfire season on record for the Northwest Territories and the third worst for BC with most fires caused by lightning strikes whipped up by strong winds.

Bone-chilling temperatures during January and February 2014 led to some spectacular wintry sights including Niagara Falls freezing over – pictured here is ice on the Niagara River. The big freeze was the result of a polar vortex, which affected parts of both Canada and the USA. It was the first time this term was used by meteorologists to describe the rare and frigid conditions that saw a band of strong winds, high up in the atmosphere, trap extremely cold and dense air from the Arctic region above the countries. At the time, it was Toronto’s coldest winter in 20 years and the most snowbound on record.

A deep freeze delivered a brutal blow to Prince Edward Island and parts of eastern Canada in February 2015. The blizzards that hit the east coast saw schools and businesses close, power outages and homes buried up to their roofs. A record-busting 34 inches (86.8cm) of snow fell at Charlottetown Airport and the island province was cut off from the mainland for nearly two days as Confederation Bridge was closed.

Uncontrollable wildfires raged near Fort McMurray, Alberta in May 2016, causing the province to declare a state of emergency and seek military assistance for the evacuation of more than 80,000 residents from the town, which was left charred and deserted. It was the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history and destroyed 2,579 homes. The fires were fuelled by unpredictable winds, which spread a thick haze over the region. 

Spring floods burst records in the Montréal suburb of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac in April after a natural dyke was breached. It was the hardest hit area in the disaster which occurred due to a catastrophic combination of heavy rains and snowmelt from a particularly snowy winter. In total, over 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes in eastern Canada and it took weeks for the waters to recede. According to reports, the costly floods contributed to 82 landslides and 760 roads and highways were washed out or damaged. 

Although Dorian had been downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone when she hit Halifax, Nova Scotia on 7 September 2019, she still walloped the city with winds of up to 100 miles per hour (160km/h). Trees were downed, a crane was toppled and roofs torn off in the violent weather before the storm moved on to Newfoundland and Labrador. Wild seas also pounded the Atlantic coast. Pictured here are damaged lobster cages strewn along a beach in Nova Scotia after they were ripped from the seabed by the storm. It also whipped up record waves off the coast of Newfoundland.

Snow is par for the course in Canada’s Newfoundland, but not quite at the level that capital St John's saw in January 2020. A so-called bomb cyclone brought high winds and dumped 2ft 6in (0.7m) of snow in what was its highest daily snowfall on record. The wind gusts caused dramatic snow drifts that buried cars, blocked roads, downed power lines and even caused a small avalanche to breach the wall of one home.

Summery scenes swiftly became wintry ones in Calgary, Alberta, as huge hail stones the size of tennis balls pounded the city and covered its streets in white ice in June 2020. The hail, which is formed in the core of a thunderstorm, is not all that unusual, but this storm was particularly vicious and inflicted substantial damage on houses, vehicles and crops in the city and wider area. Reports put it as the fourth costliest natural disaster in the country's history.

Canada’s Pacific Northwest frazzled as blistering temperatures saw large parts of the country experience a prolonged and unprecedented heatwave in June and July 2021. The hideously hot weather saw an 84-year-old record broken in Lytton, British Columbia, when the village recorded a temperature of 49.6°C (121.3°F). Not long after, the small town was destroyed by wildfires. An increased number of unexpected deaths in the country have been linked to the extreme heat, which scientists say is a direct result of climate change.

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November 2021 saw historic flooding hit British Columbia, leaving thousands of people without homes and businesses after intense rainfall brought horrific deluges and landslides to large parts of the province. BC officials extended its state of emergency right through to 18 January 2022. It’s thought that summer 2021's ferocious wildfires worsened the floods’ impact, as they stripped hills of vegetation, making landslides more likely.

On 17 January 2022, snowfall and blizzard-like conditions hit Ontario in what an Environment Canada meteorologist called a "once-in-a-decade kind of storm". Downtown Toronto was blanketed by 14 inches (36cm) of snow by 2pm and Toronto Pearson International Airport saw 12.5 inches (32cm) – beating the previous daily record for 17 January (compared to 3 inches/7.6cm in 1994). Over in Ottawa, more new highs were set – 17.7 inches (45cm) of snow at Ottawa International Airport made it the city's snowiest day since 2016 and the most snow on 17 January since records began in 1873.

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Category 4 hurricane Fiona devastated the Caribbean in September 2022. Meteorologists watched anxiously as the storm made its way up to Canada, as it had the lowest barometric pressure of any storm to hit the country, making its potential for destruction very high. On 24 September, brutal rain and wind made landfall on Nova Scotia before battering Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and parts of Quebec over the following days. Boats were torn from their moorings and beached on land, homes were reduced to rubble and roads were washed away. Fiona has been called the costliest storm in Canadian history, with damages totalling CA$660 million ($488m/£405m).

Winter is always cold in Canada, but in late January and early February 2023, a once-in-a-generation blast of Arctic wind brought temperatures down to dangerous levels: in places, wind chill reached -51°C (-29°F). Residents across the USA's New England region and eastern Canada (including Toronto and Montreal) were under extreme cold advisories and some schools were shut, but that didn't stop some people from going outside. In this image, a person in New Hampshire explores an ice castle made by opportunistic artists. 

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From 27 May 2023 onwards, Nova Scotia battled its most catastropic wildfires in recent history, with Québec also affected. On 12 June 2023, nearly 450 forest fires were burning across the country, almost half of which were out of control. Dave Rockwood, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources, said that the combination of high temperatures (above 30°C/86°F), low humidity and powerful winds caused the wildfires to spread. The blazes were so bad that the smoke reached America, cloaking New York City in dense orange smog and affecting 13 other states.

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