Hurricanes in Canada
Hurricanes only occur occasionally in Canada. On average, they happen about 5 times a year. The hardest hit regions are Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec.The hurricane season usually lasts from early June to late November.
The most severe hurricane to make landfall in Canada in the past 12 months was »Fiona«. It reached a wind speed of up to 157 km/h on September 24, 2022 at 3:00 am local time near Port Hawkesbury and was 93 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a category 2 hurricane. On the open sea, speeds of up to 213 km/h were even measured (category 4).
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Current hurricane: Fiona
On September 11, 2022 at 9:00 pm, hurricane »Fiona« formed in the North Atlantic with an initial wind speed of 28 km/h. The storm system initially moved east at 19 km/h 20 km/h and reached a diameter of 278 kilometers in the meantime. The storm was named Fiona on September 15, 2022 at 12:00 am, when it was already in the mainland area of Canada. Its eye grew to a size of 37 kilometers. At September 21, 2022 at 3:00 am, it reached its highest wind speed to date of 213 kilometers per hour. This corresponds to a hurricane of category 4.On September 24, 2022 at 3:00 pm, Fiona made landfall near the city of Channel-Port aux Basques (Newfoundland and Labrador) in Canada. At that time, the hurricane had a wind speed of 111 km/h and a diameter of 185 kilometers.
Fiona has since subsided and is no longer under observation by the authorities. Its last position was about 133 km east of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Current satellite image of the North Atlantic
05.10.2022 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent hurricanes in Canada since 2018
Ian: September 19 to October 2, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 250 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1482 km
Air pressure:
below 937 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On October 01st, 2022 at 8:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 663 km southwest of Amherstburg in Ontario.
Fiona: September 12-24, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 213 km/h
on land:
max. 157 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Air pressure:
below 932 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Earl: August 27 to September 10, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 167 km/h
Diameter:
max. 444 km
Air pressure:
below 954 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On September 10th, 2022 at 3:30 pm it had the shortest distance at about 468 km southwest of Marystown in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Wanda: October 25 to November 8, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 111 km/h
Diameter:
max. 741 km
Air pressure:
below 973 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On October 27th, 2021 at 12:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 337 km southeast of Yarmouth in Nova Scotia.
Odette: September 16-26, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 102 km/h
Diameter:
max. 444 km
Air pressure:
below 989 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On September 20th, 2021 at 3:30 am it had the shortest distance at about 336 km south of Mount Pearl in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Larry: August 31 to September 11, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 204 km/h
on land:
max. 130 km/h
Diameter:
max. 259 km
Air pressure:
below 953 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Henri: August 15-24, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
Diameter:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 986 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On August 24th, 2021 at 3:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 196 km southeast of Yarmouth in Nova Scotia.
Claudette: June 17-23, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 74 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Air pressure:
below 1003 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On June 22nd, 2021 at 9:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 218 km southwest of Port Hawkesbury in Nova Scotia.
Bill: June 13-16, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 102 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Air pressure:
below 992 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On June 15th, 2021 at 9:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 443 km south of Glace Bay in Nova Scotia.
Epsilon: October 16-26, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
Diameter:
max. 482 km
Air pressure:
below 952 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On October 25th, 2020 at 12:30 pm it had the shortest distance at about 459 km southwest of Mount Pearl in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Teddy: September 12-24, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 222 km/h
on land:
max. 102 km/h
Diameter:
max. 444 km
Air pressure:
below 945 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Nova Scotia
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Newfoundland and Labrador
Kyle: August 14-16, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 333 km
Air pressure:
below 1000 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On August 15th, 2020 at 3:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 529 km south of Yarmouth in Nova Scotia.
Fay: July 5-11, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 93 km/h
on land:
max. 37 km/h
Diameter:
max. 444 km
Air pressure:
below 998 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Quebec
Quebec
Dolly: June 22-25, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 74 km/h
Diameter:
max. 296 km
Air pressure:
below 1000 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On June 24th, 2020 at 9:30 pm it had the shortest distance at about 334 km south of Grand Bank in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Bertha: May 27-28, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 296 km
Air pressure:
below 1005 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On May 28th, 2020 at 8:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 321 km south of Aylmer in Ontario.
Olga: October 25-27, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 204 km
Air pressure:
below 992 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On October 27th, 2019 at 2:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 73 km southeast of North Bay in Ontario.
Melissa: October 8-14, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 102 km/h
Diameter:
max. 667 km
Air pressure:
below 994 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On October 13th, 2019 at 3:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 570 km southwest of Yarmouth in Nova Scotia.
Humberto: September 12-20, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 204 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Air pressure:
below 950 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On September 20th, 2019 at 9:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 553 km southwest of Port Hawkesbury in Nova Scotia.
Chantal: August 20-26, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 65 km/h
Diameter:
max. 185 km
Air pressure:
below 1007 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The hurricane did not make direct landfall. On August 20th, 2019 at 3:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 598 km southwest of Halifax in Nova Scotia.
These evaluations are based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individual data have been summarized or translated.
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