Canada is currently in the middle of an environmental disaster with mega-fires that have led to parts of the country having the worst air quality in the world. However, the smoke from these fires has undertaken a journey of more than 10,000 kilometres and is about to reach Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
This is an unusual phenomenon that was explained by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) on its arrival in mainland Europe:
“What happens in certain areas of the planet can end up being seen in very distant places. In the satellite image (below) 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”.
But how is it possible for smoke to cross oceans and continents? The answer is in the height it travels at. The jet stream is facilitating the passage of the smoke first to Europe and now to the Canary Islands. This current is generated at the upper limit of the troposphere, caused by the thermal contrast between two air masses.
It has a flattened shape and moves between altitudes of 7,000 to 15,000 metres, being more intense in summer than in winter. It can reach speeds of between 500 and 600 km/h, and could potentially be even faster.
In the last few days, it has been possible to observe the movement of the smoke via satellite images over the UK and the northwest of France, and at the moment it is moving to the eastern part of the archipelago where it is expected to reach us from 1:00pm tomorrow (Thursday).
Canada is experiencing one of the worst years on record for wildfires. So far this year, almost 4 million hectares have been destroyed. The most devastating year of the last decade was 2014 when nearly 4.5 million hectares burned.
HOW WILL THE SMOKE AFFECT THE CANARY ISLANDS?
Regarding its possible impact on the weather, the experts from the European Copernicus program 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 though 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 travelling at a high altitude. 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.
