Why has the sun been red in Waterloo Region lately?

CTV News

04-06-2025

People in the Waterloo Region area may have noticed the sun looked bright red as it hung low in the sky this week.
While the phenomenon offers a fantastic opportunity for photos, the truth is the rouge tinge stems from the wildfires out west.
Blood red sunrises and sunsets are often due to wildfire smoke that has travelled thousands of kilometers. The colour can last for days, depending on the size of the fires.
Smoke from Manitoba and Saskatchewan has been billowing across the country, and is even causing concerns in Europe. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said smoke it making its way across the ocean.
'Several satellites have observed long-range transport across the Atlantic, with smoke reaching as far as Europe. An initial plume at high altitude crossed the Mediterranean region on 18-19 May with reports of the smoke reaching Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. A second, much larger, smoke plume crossed the Atlantic during the last week of May, reaching northwestern parts of Europe on 1 June. Additional plumes are expected to reach the continent in the upcoming days,' the service said in a news release on Tuesday.
Wildfires are also blazing in parts of northwestern Ontario, contributing to the spectacle in Waterloo Region.
FireSmoke Canada, a service that monitors wildfire and smoke, shows the smoke may continue to plague the Greater Toronto Area through to Thursday.