2023-06-27 10:13:00
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Wildfire smoke, a long-distance traveler telling stories of destruction and climate change, has embarked on a 7,000-kilometre journey from Canada to Spainan unusual phenomenon that explains like this the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET):
“What happens in certain areas of the planet can end up being noticed in very distant places. In the satellite image we can see how the smoke from the fires in Canada reaches the Iberian Peninsula. Further south, you can see the dust in suspension from the Sahara”.
AEMET
AEMET map showing the advance of smoke from the fires in Canada towards Europe and the Iberian Peninsula.
But how is it possible for smoke to cross oceans and continents? The answer is in the heights.
JETSTREAM OR JET CURRENT
The jetstream, or jet stream, is what is facilitating the transfer of smoke in height to Europe. This current is generated at the upper limit of the troposphere, caused by the thermal contrast between two air masses.
Alert in the US for smoke from fires in Canada: how does it affect health?
It has a flattened shape and moves between altitudes of 7,000 to 15,000 meters, being more intense in summer than in winter. It can reach speeds of 500 km/h, and sometimes even 600 km/h, and could potentially be even faster.
It is already possible to observe in the satellite images that smoke has begun to cover the Iberian Peninsula, the British Isles and northwestern France. In the next few hours, its density will increase and this pattern will continue in the coming days.
WAVE OF FIRE IN CANADA
Canada is experiencing one of the worst years on record for wildfires. So far this year, almost 4 million hectares They have been consumed by fire. The most devastating year of the last decade was 2014, when about 4.5 million hectares burned.
For several weeks, fires have been raging across the North American country, and the province of Quebec is the most affected, with more than 150 active fires.
The climate emergency, with its rising temperatures and extreme weather events, drives this type of huge fire, which is expected to become increasingly intense and virulent.
The smoke from the fires, although at high altitudes, may be visible in coastal areas when it reaches land, but it quickly diffuses. Although the concentration of particles is very low, it can affect people with respiratory pathologies.
HOW SMOKE WILL AFFECT SPAIN
Regarding its possible impact on meteorology, the experts of the European Copernicus programthey believe that it is unlikely to have direct effects on the meteorology in Spain. However, if the smoke is thick enough, some small reductions in surface temperatures could occur in the vicinity of the smoke plume.
What is likely is that, due to the presence of smoke, sunrises and sunsets present more intense reddish hues than usual. The effects will be more noticeable in areas where the concentration of suspended particles in the air is higher.
Initially, the particles are traveling at a great height. They are not expected to have significant effects on the surface, although it is possible that, due to the pressure of the ridge over Spain, some of these aerosols are forced down. However, in general, this should not be a problem.
It is true that throughout history we have seen episodes of smoke from fires that affect remote areas, as happened with this same wave of fires in Canada that affected the east coast of the United States, and in particular the city of New York, in early June 2023. However, the conditions necessary for smoke from North American fires to reach Europe are very specific and do not occur frequently.
We can breathe a sigh of relief. At the moment.
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