Hail/Lightning papers Hail Climatology for Canada: An update David Etkin, York University ICLR Paper Series – No. 59
Hail is a significant hazard in parts of Canada, causing damage to infrastructure and crops. It is of particular concern to the insurance industry, for which it is an important risk. Risk analysis begins with an understanding of hazard, and for this reason it is important to have an updated climatology of hail frequency in Canada. A previous national climatology was based upon data from 1977 to 1993 (Etkin & Brun, 1999), and therefore it is prudent to examine Canada’s hail climatology based upon a longer time series that includes more recent data.
National hail climatologies (e.g. the number of hail days per year in Canada) serve as a foundation for hail risk analyses. Although national hail climatologies cannot be used to determine hailstorm severity or to infer damage, they are used to help identify vulnerable regions, and thus areas where mitigation efforts should be concentrated.