Increasing ocean temperatures in the North are a major cause of severe weather events with heavy rainfall.

Increased precipitation can cause weathering of landforms and sudden collapse of slopes of cliffs, river banks, hills, etc. Due to the geography and history of Newfoundland and Labrador, many communities are built in bays or valleys, which puts them at risk of sudden surrounding slope collapse during extended heavy rainfall events.

Climate change can also affect municipalities drinking water sources. Increased flooding and storm runoff, rising temperatures and sea level rise all pose risks to drinking water. Flooding and storm water can cause organic matter or potential contaminants to enter drinking water sources, while rising temperatures can lead to an increase in waterborne bacteria. Rising sea levels put groundwater sources at risk of saltwater intrusion.

Wildfire is defined as a large, destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland or brush. As climate change causes drier and hotter summers, we will see an increase in the chances of wildfire activity due to drier forests.

The main cause of wildfires in Newfoundland is human activity, but with drier forests these fires will become much larger and harder to control than they have in the past. Lightning storms are very common in Labrador, and are a huge contributing factor to the number of wildfires there.

Winter temperatures in Newfoundland and Labrador have been increasing. This is creating an increase in the frequency of ice storms, rain events, freeze-thaw patterns, heavy snowfall events, and an earlier spring thaw throughout all areas of the province.

Many communities in Newfoundland and Labrador are located near the coast, which could be vulnerable to rising sea levels and increased frequency of serious storms. This could cause increased erosion of a number of coastal environments.