Smoke from Canadian wildfires forecast to reach Norway

The smoke from Canadian wildfires, which has engulfed sections of the United States and Canada in a thick haze, is anticipated to pour into Norway on Thursday, June 8 according to officials.

The Norwegian Climate and Environmental Research Institute (NILU) utilised a forecast model to anticipate how the smoke would travel through the atmosphere.

Since June 1, the smoke has migrated over Greenland and Iceland, and observations in southern Norway have shown growing amounts of aerosolised particles, according to the independent scientific institute.

The US east coast has experienced hazardous levels of pollution from the wildfires burning in Canada.

The smoke has affected millions of people, held up flights at major airports, postponed baseball games and prompted people to fish out pandemic-era face masks.

US National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey said the weather system driving the smoke out “will probably be hanging around at least for the next few days”.

Smoke from the wildfires has been pouring into US east coast and mid-west states, covering the capitals of both nations in an unhealthy haze.

Canada has asked other countries for help fighting the more than 400 blazes nationwide, which have already displaced 20,000 people. Air quality has reached what the US rates as hazardous levels of pollution in central New York and north-eastern Pennsylvania.

The massive swathes of unhealthy air are extending as far as North Carolina and Indiana, affecting millions of people. Officials in affected regions have urged people to stay indoors.

Canadian officials say this is shaping up to be the nation’s worst wildfire season ever. It started early on drier-than-usual ground and accelerated very quickly, exhausting firefighting resources across the country, according to fire and environmental officials.

Smoke from the blazes in various parts of the country has been lapping into the US since May, but has intensified with a recent spate of fires in Quebec, where around 100 fires are considered to be out of control.

In Washington, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden has sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada. His administration has contacted some US governors and local officials about providing assistance, she said.

While Eastern Quebec got some rainfall on Wednesday, Montreal-based Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said that no significant rain is expected for days in the remote areas of central Quebec, where the wildfires are more intense.