a chunk of ice the size of Ontario

It's the end of a year, and it's list time.

Topping Environment Canada's list of top weather stories of 2007 is our melting Arctic sea ice - in September, scientists were stunned by satellite images revealing that the ice had shrunk to about 4 million square kilometres - a 23% reduction from 5.3 million square kilometres in 2005.

In other words, a chunk of ice the size of Ontario vanished within one year.

So what does it mean? Well, it remains to be seen how the dramatic transformation of the Arctic surface from a highly reflective white ice to dark heat-absorbing sea water will affect planetary climate.

"When you go from a surface that reflects 90 per cent of the radiation that comes in to a surface that absorbs 95 per cent of the sun's rays ... I think it has incredible implications for all people," warned senior climatologist David Phillips.

Second place on the weather list went to the threat of a devastating flood in British Columbia, followed by pre-winter storms across Canada, a hot and sticky summer on the Prairies, a dry summer in southern Ontario and the effects of Hurricane Noel in eastern Canada.

Full story at canada.com