As some people continue to debate whether or not climate change is a reality, the Senior Climatologist with Environment Canada says it’s here and it’s happening.

David Phillips has worked for Environment Canada for 50 years, and was in Brandon recently talking with farmers. Bis presentation’s theme was “Tomorrow’s Forecast: Warmer, Wetter, Wilder".

“As Canadians we love to talk about the weather more than any other subject, but it’s the farmers whose lives and livelihood depend upon it. They are always keeping an eye on the sky, and they are always tuned in to get the weather because it means a lot to them.”

Phillips admits there is nothing you can do about the weather, but perhaps by knowing the forecast farmers can use that information to cushion the blow, or take advantage of the good weather they are hoping to get.

As for weather accuracy and predicting the day to day or week to week weather, Phillips says things are slowly getting better. “It’s always tough to get the forecast right, because we live in a country where the weather attacks us from every direction. Weather dictates what people do every day, and that’s what motivates us to get it right.”

Weather forecasting has its challenges, but Phillips adds Environment Canada is up to it.

“You never get forecasting 100 per cent right, and we say that we get it right with improvement of one day every 10 years. So our seven day forecast now is as good as our six day forecast was a decade ago. So it’s just a marginal improvement, but we are heading in the right direction.”

The longtime weather forecaster says climate change is real and is happening.

“The wobbly, jiggly jet stream that used to flow like a bungy cord across Canada with cold air to the north and warm air to the south, now it’s dipping and diving and we are seeing heat waves in the Arctic and we are freezing here in the central part of North America. It is wonky and wacky and we think it will be wetter, wilder and warmer.”

Phillips says it’s not all doom and gloom, "Because I think Manitoba is nicely positioned in the centre of North America. You have 25 per cent more precipitation than Alberta, 15 per cent more growing degree days and you don’t have the wetness of the east."

He calls it the Goldilocks of positions because Manitoba won’t be too hot and it won’t be too cold, and it should be just right. He also pointed out the changing weather patterns won’t do anything to eliminate the mosquito population.