Fort McMurray wildfire tops annual meteorologist list of weather stories

The dry forest floor acted as kindling for the fire, and high winds blew the flames over highways and rivers. Flames shot high into the air.

The heat coming off of the fire — which burned between 800 and 1,000 C — produced twisting winds that turned into small tornadoes, Phillips said.

The fire also caused a dry thunderstorm, he said.

The wildfire, nicknamed “the beast” for its unpredictability, is the costliest insured natural disaster in Canadian history, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. There was an estimated $3.77 billion in claims as of mid-November.

Nobody died as a direct result of the fire, though two teenagers were killed in a highway crash south of the city.

Phillips noted that most of the top 10 weather stories had to do with this year’s uncharacteristic warmth.

The heat exacerbated the fire in Fort Mac, and it led to the Arctic Sea ice hitting a new record low.

Phillips said that at the end of May, the Beaufort Sea is normally 92 per cent frozen. But this year, it was just a little over half ice-covered, and melting began a full month ahead of normal.

Last month was the warmest November on record and the 2015-16 winter season was also warmer than usual. In fact, it was the second warmest winter since country-wide records began in 1948.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Fort McMurray wildfire tops annual meteorologist list of weather stories

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