Canadian wildfire smoke reaches Europe
As the boreal wildfire season gets underway, Canada has seen a sharp rise in the number and intensity of wildfires, particularly in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, resulting in large emissions of smoke and pollutants into the atmosphere, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has been closely tracking the fires, their emissions, and the transport of smoke across long distances. According to CAMS Senior Scientist Mark Parrington, “central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions.” He added that the presence of smoke over Europe reflects the scale of the fires and their broader atmospheric impact.
In recent weeks, satellite data has confirmed that smoke from Canadian wildfires has crossed the Atlantic, reaching Europe. An initial plume arrived over the Mediterranean in mid-May, with smoke reported in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. A larger plume followed at the end of May, reaching northwestern Europe on June 1, with further smoke transport expected in the coming days.
CAMS forecasts suggest that, while these plumes occur mostly at high altitudes and are unlikely to affect surface air quality significantly, they may still lead to hazier skies and more vivid sunsets.
At the same time, major wildfires continue to burn in Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District, with the most prominent fires occurring in the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai, east of Lake Baikal. Carbon emissions in the region have reached their highest level for this period since 2018.
Earlier, it was reported that wildfires burning across Canada have forced thousands to evacuate and prompted emergency declarations, while smoke is expected to drift into parts of the United States.
