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France 24
2 hours ago
- Climate
- France 24
Canada, US warn of air quality hazards as Canadian fire smoke reaches Europe
Alerts were issued for parts of Canada and the neighboring United States warning of hazardous air quality. A water tanker air base was consumed by flames in Saskatchewan province, oil production has been disrupted in Alberta, and officials warned of worse to come with more communities threatened each day. "We have some challenging days ahead of us," Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference, adding that the number of evacuees could rise quickly. Every summer, Canada grapples with forest fires, but an early start to the wildfire season this year and the scale of the blazes -- over two million hectares (494,000 acres) burned -- is worrying. The provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been hardest hit. Both declared wildfire emergencies in recent days. "This has been a very difficult time for many Canadians," federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski told reporters in Ottawa. "This wildfire season has started off more quickly, and it's stronger, more intense," she said, adding that the Canadian military has deployed aircraft to evacuate remote towns in Manitoba and was ready to also assist Saskatchewan and Alberta with firefighting. Climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather events in Canada, which is still recovering from the apocalyptic summer of 2023 when 15 million hectares of forests were scorched. As of Tuesday, there were 208 active fires across Canada. Half of them were listed as out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Many of the affected populations are Indigenous, and some small communities have burned to the ground. 'Very intense few weeks' Heavy smoke from the fires, meanwhile, has engulfed part of the continent, forcing residents of four Canadian provinces and the US states of Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin to limit outdoor activities. "Smoke is causing very poor air quality and reduced visibility," Environment Canada said in a statement. Wildfire smoke is comprised of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, along with water vapor and particle pollution, which can be particularly hazardous to health. Some of the worst smoke was in Alberta where three major oil sands producers -- Canadian Natural Resources, MEG Energy Corp, and Cenovus Energy -- this week evacuated workers and temporarily shut down hundreds of thousands of barrels of production per day. Huge plumes of smoke even reached Europe, the European Union's climate monitoring service said Tuesday. Due to their very high altitude, they do not pose an immediate health risk, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), but are likely to result in hazy skies and reddish-orange sunsets. Additional plumes are expected to shade both continents in the coming days. "Central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions," noted Mark Parrington, scientific director at CAMS. Canadian authorities have forecast a more intense fire season than usual in central and western Canada, due in particular to severe or extreme drought. "The significant reduction in snowpack in the spring led to early exposure of soil and vegetation, accelerating surface drying," explained University of Ottawa professor Hossein Bonakdari. "This early exposure acted as a silent amplifier, subtly setting the stage for extreme fires long before the first flame ignited," he said. Elsewhere, extensive forest fires have been raging in Russia's Far Eastern Federal District since early April, particularly east of Lake Baikal, generating carbon emissions of around 35 million tons, Copernicus reported.
The Journal
2 hours ago
- Climate
- The Journal
Smoke from Canada's wildfires is affecting how the sun looks over Ireland
DENSE SMOKE BILLOWING from dozens of deadly wildfires across Canada is having an impact on the atmosphere as far as Ireland, according to weather experts. The EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Montoring Service (CAMS) warned this week that several wildfires have been active in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario since May, resulting in the reported development of 'pyrocumulonimbus clouds' (pyroCb). The Canadian wildfires have been devastating, with several measuring between 100,000 and 300,000 hectares apiece, causing evacuations and the destruction of forests and homes. Wildfires in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo While wildfires in Saskatchewan typically begin to flare up in April and May, the situation in the province this year was exacerbated by moderate drought and strong winds in mid-May, CAMS warned. A similar situation was observed on the border between the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, with wildfire conditions driven by hot, dry, and windy conditions in the area. More smoky skies are expected as this week begins, with some of the more gigantic blazes delivering thick smoke that is spreading eastward towards Europe. A smoke map, showing that many of the wildfire plumes are heading eastward. ArcGIS ArcGIS Smoke first traveled across the Mediterranean on 18 May, with sightings reported in Greece and areas around the eastern Mediterranean. A second, more extensive plume crossed the Atlantic during the final week of May, reaching parts of northwestern Europe – including Ireland – on Sunday. Further smoke plumes are anticipated to arrive in Europe in the coming days. As a result, in recent days, the sun has appeared to display extra vibrant colours in Ireland, making for breathtaking sunsets across Ireland. Why is that? Advertisement Brighter sun It's a scientifically jargon-y answer that has to do with how sunlight interacts with the atmosphere – when there's smoke in the air, tiny particles scatter sunlight. Around 6am and the sun is an incredible red which my phone camera can't really show. It could be swirls of sands from Africa or something that @CarlowWeather might know why. Red sky in morning, shepherds take warning. — Zwartbles Ireland • Suzanna Crampton (@ZwartblesIE) May 31, 2025 As explained by science reporter Kenneth Chang , blue and green wavelengths scatter more easily and get redirected away from your eyes, while red and orange wavelengths pass through more directly. The thicker the smoke, the more blue light gets scattered or blocked – leaving the sun looking red or orange, especially near the horison. The higher-energy colours with shorter wavelengths – that is, blue light – scatter more readily, and as a result, the entire sky is suffused in blue. Wildfire smoke back over us again this morning as this is the view of the sun rising in the sky. The main band of rain has cleared with sunny spells but also scattered showers. — Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) June 3, 2025 Smoke particles also scatter light, and because they are larger than air molecules, they also scatter the orange and red colours. That results in far more red and orange in the sky than we are used to seeing during the daytime, imparting a surreal hue. 'Up to the beginning of June, our data is showing that central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions,' CAMS Senior Scientist Mark Parrington said. 'This data, and the fact that we are able to observe the smoke in Europe, is a reflection of the scale of the fires and impacts they have been having.' PyroCb clouds, the clouds formed by the Canadian wildfires, typically form when a fire burns with exceptional heat and intensity, generating enough thermal energy to push smoke, ash and moisture high into the atmosphere from where powerful jet streams can transport the smoke over long distances. PyroCb smoke clouds are denser than regular clouds, CAMS says – meaning more light is scattered. Parrington said that the long-range transport of smoke caused by the fires 'is not unusual', but he added :'it is a clear reflection of the intensity of the fires that such high values of aerosol optical depth and other pollutants associated with the plume are so high as it reaches this side of the Atlantic'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- Climate
- RTÉ News
Smoke from Canadian wildfires reaches Europe, EU says
Heavy smoke from intense wildfires in Canada has reached northwestern Europe, the European Union's climate monitoring service said today. The huge plumes are at very high altitude and do not pose an immediate health risk, it said in a statement. "Smoke originating from the wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan has been transported across the Atlantic," the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) said. Satellites tracked the smoke in mid-May, with some plumes reaching as far east as 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," CAMS said. Additional plumes are expected to shade the continent in the coming days. Wildfire smoke is comprised of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, along with water vapor and particle pollution, which can be particularly hazardous to health. A high concentration of carbon monoxide is expected to pass over northwestern France, including the Paris Basin, on Tuesday. The high-altitude smoke headed for Europe is not expected to have a significant impact on surface air quality, but is likely to result in hazy skies and reddish-orange sunsets. Manitoba in central Canada is experiencing its worst start to the fire season in years due to drought, and Saskatchewan to the west declared a state of emergency at the end of May, evacuating thousands of residents. "Central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions," said Mark Parrington, scientific director at CAMS. Canadian authorities have forecast a more intense fire season than usual this summer in central and western Canada, due in particular to severe or extreme drought. Elsewhere, extensive forest fires have been raging in Russia's Far Eastern Federal District since early April, particularly east of Lake Baikal, generating carbon emissions of around 35 million tons, Copernicus reported.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Why sunsets will be more vibrant this week
Credit: CAMS/ECMWF Sunsets are likely to be more vibrant this week as smoke from Canadian wildfires blows across Britain. Nearly 100 wildfires have been burning out of control across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario in the past few weeks, with the provinces declaring states of emergency and 25,000 people being forced to evacuate their homes. Satellite imagery from the Copernicus weather satellite shows the smoke has crossed the Atlantic and reached Europe, with thick plumes in the atmosphere above Ireland and southern Britain. Experts said the skies may appear hazier because the sun is blocked out by the extra pollution, while sunsets could be particularly spectacular over the next few days when more smoke arrives. Nick Silkstone, a meteorologist with the Met Office, said: 'We believe the densest part of the smoke plume will remain around three kilometres above the UK, and there aren't expected to be any signs of smoke or reduced air quality at the surface. 'The main factor the public may notice from ground level is that any sunshine will be quite hazy – even in any patches of cloudless sky. 'Because the smoke particles will scatter some blue light, it is likely that the colours of sunrises and sunsets will be more vibrant than usual.' Wildfires in Canada typically begin to flare up in April and May, with the situation this year being exacerbated by moderate drought and strong winds in mid-May. Dense smoke has also spread across other Canadian provinces and the US, with 22 million Americans placed under air quality alerts last weekend. Residents have been warned smoke could reach levels that are 'unhealthy for everyone'. Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), said: 'Up to the beginning of June, our data is showing that central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions. 'This data, and the fact that we are able to observe the smoke in Europe, is a reflection of the scale of the fires and impacts they have been having in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.' Wildfire smoke is made up of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, along with water vapour and particle pollution, which can be hazardous to health if near to the ground. Dr Ailish Graham, research fellow at the University of Leeds, said: 'It's unlikely that these wildfires will have an impact on surface air quality. 'Based on model forecasts from the CAMS, the smoke transported is at higher altitudes, which is common in these kinds of episodes.' She added: 'As a result of the smoke being at high altitudes it's very unlikely that people will be exposed to the smoke, or be able to smell it.' The first smoke from Canadian fires hit Europe on May 18, but new forecasts show thicker plumes will come this week. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Smoke From Canadian Fires Reaches Europe, Says EU Climate Monitor
Heavy smoke from intense wildfires in Canada has reached northwestern Europe, the European Union's climate monitoring service said on Tuesday. The huge plumes are at very high altitude and do not pose an immediate health risk, it said in a statement. "Smoke originating from the wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan has been transported across the Atlantic," the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) said. Satellites tracked the smoke in mid-May, with some plumes reaching as far east as 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 June 1," CAMS said. Additional plumes are expected to shade the continent in the coming days. Wildfire smoke is comprised of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, along with water vapor and particle pollution, which can be particularly hazardous to health. A high concentration of carbon monoxide is expected to pass over northwestern France, including the Paris Basin, on Tuesday. The high-altitude smoke headed for Europe is not expected to have a significant impact on surface air quality, but is likely to result in hazy skies and reddish-orange sunsets. Manitoba in central Canada is experiencing its worst start to the fire season in years due to drought, and Saskatchewan to the west declared a state of emergency at the end of May, evacuating thousands of residents. "Central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions," said Mark Parrington, scientific director at CAMS. Canadian authorities have forecast a more intense fire season than usual this summer in central and western Canada, due in particular to severe or extreme drought. Elsewhere, extensive forest fires have been raging in Russia's Far Eastern Federal District since early April, particularly east of Lake Baikal, generating carbon emissions of around 35 million tons, Copernicus reported.
