Human-caused climate change is making heat waves much more likely, the federal government says, bringing extreme weather from fires to storms.

That's according to Environment and Climate Change Canada's rapid extreme weather event attribution system, which compares today's climate to a pre-industrial one.

Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says there will be more wildfires from British Columbia to Manitoba this month, with climate change fuelling them.

There are 474 fires blazing across the country, compared to the roughly 900 fires at this time last year.

Even when conditions become less dry, Canadians have another thing to worry about: hurricanes.

Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan is also urging Canadians to prepare for more major named storms this season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2024