Ontario’s Western University and social impact fund ImpactWX have partnered to launch the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory (CSSL).
Calling itself the authoritative source for Canadian severe convective storm data and research, the laboratory was founded on Oct. 28, “beginning a new era in severe storms research in Canada and strengthening Canada’s reputation globally as a leader in the field,” CSSL says on its website.
“We undertake the collection of data, documentation of events, and pursuit of research that enhances our understanding of severe convective storms and their impacts, and allows the development of innovative techniques and tools,” CSSL says. “The CSSL develops climatologies of warm-season severe weather (tornadoes, downbursts/derechos, damaging hail, flash floods) that inform risk analysis and community resiliency, improving the safety and well-being of Canadians.
“We also make our data and analyses freely available to both decision-makers and the public, and participate in various outreach activities, in order to increase awareness and spark innovation.”
Projects under the CSSL umbrella include the Northern Tornadoes Project (founded in 2017), the Northern Hail Project (founded in 2022), and the new Northern Mesonet Project (NMP).
The term mesonet is typically a network of collectively owned and operated automated weather stations installed close enough to each other — and reporting data frequently enough — to observe, measure, and track mesoscale meteorological phenomena, according to Edmonton-based Campbell Scientific Canada.
The NMP aims to better monitor severe convective storms, improve severe and extreme weather understanding and prediction, mitigate against harm to people and property, and investigate future implications due to climate change.
Other CSSL partners include the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction and the WindEEE Research Institute. CSSL also closely collaborates with Environment and Climate Change Canada and researchers at various Canadian and international institutions.
Severe convective storms — those associated with thunder, lightning, tornadoes, hail, heavy rain, and strong winds — have been top of mind lately, especially given Canada’s record-breaking catastrophe year.
Canadian P&C insurers have already paid out $7.7 billion in Cat losses in 2024, $7.1 billion of which came from four events this summer — the Calgary hailstorm, flooding in Quebec, flooding in Toronto, and the Jasper, Alta. wildfire. Last year, insurers paid out $3.1 billion in losses, a number that had already been increasing considerably over the years.
Feature image by iStock.com/Francis Lavigne-Theriault
