The 2024 hail season is off to a record start across Canada, according to the Weatherlogics national hail database. Weatherlogics has been tracking national hail data since 2017, and 2024 has already more than doubled the previous record of 175 reports in 2017. Each day we make hailstorm footprint maps showing any hail activity from the previous day. This includes recent catastrophic hail storms like Calgary on August 5, 2024 and Winnipeg on August 24, 2023. The chart below shows the ground truth hail reports we have collected up to May 31, 2024.
The first chart shows all hail across Canada. Hail of any size is known to cause damage to crops, especially if it falls in large volumes. However, property damage is usually caused by larger hail. In Canada, hail is considered severe if it has a diameter of 2 cm or larger. So far, Canada is also off to a record start for severe hail reports. Here is our chart showing all hail with a diameter of 2 cm or larger up to May 31 each year:
Every day, Weatherlogics produces maps showing all hail activity across Canada. These maps are used by insurers to identify their exposures to these storms. Adjusters can also utilize the maps to improve their efficiency and detect fraud. The map below is an example from the $230 million Winnipeg, Manitoba hailstorm in August 2023:
Check out our insurance page to learn more about our hail data and how it can help you handle these damaging storms.
