Smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia has reached as far as North Carolina and northern Europe where it could linger in the air through the weekend.
On air quality maps, purple indicates the worst. In reality, it is a thick, dangerous haze that reduces visibility and colors the sky orange.
Thick smoke from the fire, which is turning the sky orange, has raised concerns about possible health effects on people exposed to such bad air, the Associated Press reported.
US National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Ramsey said the low air pressure over Maine and Nova Scotia is causing the smoke to stick around for “at least the next few days.”
“Conditions are likely to remain unhealthy, at least until the wind direction changes or the fires are extinguished. As the really big fires rage, they will likely last for weeks. But it really comes down to the wind shift“, said Remzi.
Officials warned residents throughout the east coast of the USA to stay indoors and limit or avoid outdoor activities due to air quality warnings in some places for the third day in a row.
The smoke has been moving over Greenland and Iceland since June 1 and was expected to reach Norway today, the Norwegian Institute for Climate and Environmental Research said, but is not expected to pose a health problem.
More than 400 wildfires burning across Canada have forced 20,000 people from their homes. The US has sent more than 600 firefighters to Canada, and other countries are also helping.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke by phone yesterday with US President Joseph Biden, whom he thanked for his support. The leaders concluded that “it is imperative that they work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change.”
Canadian officials say this will be the country’s worst fire season.
Smoke from the fires has been hovering over the US since last month, but has intensified with recent fires in Quebec, where about 100 fires are out of control as of yesterday.
(Beta)