Dominique Ritter

You can think of flooding as the climate change version of Newton’s Third Law of motion. Rising temperatures ramp up the evaporation and moisture in the atmosphere, which triggers an opposite reaction — namely, heavy rains. Each half-degree Celsius increase in the global temperature translates to a 4 per cent boost in the air’s capacity to hold moisture.

You would be forgiven for thinking Henrietta Southam is giving you a master class in parking a boat. From behind mirrored aviators glinting in the sun, she eases her sleek NauticStar into the marina and allows the side of the hull to meet the dock with the subtlest air-kiss. “I learned to drive a boat before I learned to drive a car,” says barefoot Henrietta from behind the wheel, as we pull away and begin the trip across the water to her pink island cottage.

Quebec company Geosapiens has developed a smart platform that can provide a window into potential extreme weather events. Until fairly recently, studying the past was essential in determining what might happen today,  tomorrow and in the months and years ahead. And when it came to the weather, certain patterns usually prevailed: summer breezes, cold November rain and hazy shades of winter we could all reasonably rely on (and sing about).