Becoming a Climate-Ready Toronto

Climate Hazards & Impacts in Toronto

Toronto is experiencing a changing climate due to human causes. The city’s climate is becoming warmer, wetter and more unpredictable, which affects the city’s people, infrastructure and services.

In 2024, the City of Toronto released Toronto’s Current and Future Climate Report – an updated report that looks at how Toronto’s climate has changed and what future climate conditions could look like for two possible emissions scenarios. Based on these findings, the main climate impacts for Toronto include:

• Warmer temperatures: Toronto’s average annual temperature has been steadily rising, and we can expect to see more extreme heat days above 30°C.
• Varying precipitation: More precipitation is expected but will be localized. Toronto can expect to see an increase in severe rainfall over short periods of time, increasing the risk of flooding and erosion.
• Fewer cold days and less snow: A decline in cold days below – 20°C is expected. This will also result in less precipitation falling as snow.
• Longer frost-free season: Extended warm-weather periods will benefit agricultural production but will increase the growth and spread of insects and pests.

These changes in weather are costly and affect the health and wellness of Toronto residents and damage public and private infrastructure and natural ecosystems. They disrupt service delivery and the economic and social systems we depend on.

Climate change in Toronto may lead to wide-ranging impacts, but the consequences depend on how quickly we can reduce GHG emissions and adapt equitably and sustainably.

Acting early saves money: spending a dollar today on adaptation will save $15 in the future. Across Ontario, a proactive adaptation approach would save $1.1 billion dollars per year in climate costs by the end of the century, compared with simply reacting to the impacts of climate change. There are also mental and physical health benefits to accessing green urban spaces, creating green jobs, connecting communities and addressing inequities.

More Information

• Toronto’s Current and Future Climate Report
  • Appendices
• Climate Trends for City of Toronto Under a Very High Emissions Scenario Infographic
• Rising Heat and What This Means For Toronto Infographic
• Increasing Precipitation and What This Means For Toronto Infographic
• Current and Future Climate Data – Data tables

A Climate-Resilient Toronto for All

Toronto’s 2019 Resilience Strategy identified the many important pressures that Torontonians are facing, including housing, mobility, equity, climate change, civic engagement, and the strength of communities, and discussed how we can build resilience to all of these important challenges. To address our resilience to climate change, we need to change how we do business to consider how a future climate will affect the infrastructure, natural systems, services, and communities that make up the City. Examples of projects that increase Toronto’s climate resilience are:

Climate-Resilient People and Planning

• Toronto’s Heat Relief Strategy, aims to reduce the incidence of heat-related illness and death in Toronto due to extreme heat and includes a network of cool spaces that are open throughout the summer.
• The City’s Emergency Plan specifically considers extreme weather events including flooding, winter weather and extreme heat.
• Toronto’s Wildfire Smoke Response Strategy was developed in 2023 in response to unprecedented air quality impacts.

Climate-Resilient Natural and Built Environments

• The Toronto Green Standard sets sustainable design and performance requirements for new private and city-owned developments.
• A new Bayview Avenue Flood Traffic Management System will enable effective traffic diversion during flooding in this area.
• Toronto’s Green Streets manage the impact of wet weather events and provides social, economic and environmental benefits.
• The Wet Weather Flow Master Plan protects our environment and water quality in the Lake, rivers, streams and other water bodies from stormwater.
• Toronto’s Ravine Strategy guides ravine management, use, enhancement and protection of the City’s Ravines, and the Toronto Biodiversity Strategy aims to support healthier, more robust biodiversity and increased awareness of nature in Toronto.
• Toronto’s Parkland Strategy intends to expand the system, improve the function of existing parks, connect parks and other open spaces, and remove barriers so that parks and other open spaces are inclusive places and equitably accessible to everyone.

Climate Equity

Climate Equity ensures that climate resilience efforts prioritize historically marginalized and vulnerable communities, ensuring equal access to resources and decision-making processes. These communities often face unfair impacts from climate change due to factors like inadequate infrastructure and social disparities. Climate equity seeks to centre resilience around those most affected, fostering inclusivity, and redressing historic injustices.

Indigenous Worldviews

Embracing Indigenous worldviews means respecting the wisdom, knowledge, and practices of Indigenous communities, particularly as they relate to the land. Indigenous peoples have a deep understanding of sustainable land stewardship and ecosystem preservation. For climate resilience initiatives, incorporating Indigenous perspectives means collaborating respectfully with Indigenous peoples, benefiting from their insights, and acknowledging their role as knowledge keepers and environmental stewards.

What You Can Do

Stay informed: Check your local forecast or learn about Weather Alerts for Toronto. During an extreme weather event you can receive information from places like newspapers, telephone, internet and social media, the local television and radio station, or people you know in your community.

Prepare your home: There are measures you can take to protect your home from climate impacts related to heat, flooding, wind damage, and loss of power. These infographics include measures for people who live in apartments and condos as well as ideas for commercial real estate. There are also ways to weatherproof your home while preparing for extreme heat, cold and wind with the Preparing for Extreme Weather resource.

Stay connected: Research shows that people who are isolated are the most likely to be affected when there are extreme weather events. Communities with more social connections tend to be more resilient to any kind of stress. Join a community organization, get to know your neighbours – and check in on those who live alone.