The situation will be much less problematic than in North America, but these fumes could still affect air quality, especially on the West Coast.
This month, many media relayed stunning images of New York, darkened by thick smoke coming straight from Canada. And it’s not just these images that go around the world. The consequences of the terrible forest fires ravaging the country of the maple leaf are not limited to the American continent; the fumes should also travel to Europe and reach France on Monday.
In any case, this is the interpretation of Nahel Belgherze, resident of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble. On Twitter, he shared an atmospheric model where we see that the plume is heading towards the Old Continent.
Copious amounts of smoke from wildfires raging throughout Quebec, Canada will reach Western Europe in the next few hours. pic.twitter.com/Uxx402al87
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) June 25, 2023
” Large amounts of smoke from wildfires raging across Canada will reach Western Europe in the coming hours “, he said. In these images, we can see that Ireland will probably be the most affected country. The smoke should also reach the United Kingdom, as well as part of France.
No major alert, but caution remains in order
In North America, these fumes had very concrete consequences. In New York, flights had to be canceled, and schools also closed. Some people even had to go to the hospital because of respiratory problems. In recent hours, Quebec authorities have again alerted the local population to the poor air quality, especially in the south of the region.
The good news is that we should not expect a situation as dramatic as on the other side of the Atlantic. Still according to Nahel Belgherze, most of the smoke should stay a good distance from the ground. France will also be less affected than New York, victim of a thick pea mash which darkened the sky for long periods.
We therefore do not risk finding ourselves faced with the apocalyptic landscape as in Canada. On the other hand, the phenomenon could make sunrises and sunsets particularly “vibrant” – perhaps a boon for photographers. But if it will remain mainly in altitude, a part could still fall closer to the ground.
If so, the air quality could be affected. It will therefore be necessary to remain vigilant, especially for residents of the West Coast who suffer from respiratory problems. This particularly concerns Brittany, which should be the first region affected according to the map shared by Nahel Belgherze.
