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.
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