Canadian wildfires appear in Vorarlberg

According to the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), in Vorarlberg — as a result of devastating wildfires in Canada — there can be a more intense red color in the morning or evening, due to aerosols that scatter sunlight and thus can contribute to its sharper visibility. sky colors.

The smoke coming from the west is clearing

In Austria, the smoke is more likely to be felt in Vorarlberg because it comes from the west: “Our weather is mainly to the west. We are in the so-called westerly wind zone, explains Thomas Renderer, a meteorologist at ORF Vorarlberg. However, the smoke is diminishing, which is also due to the rains that are expected to sweep the country on Friday.

Three to four weeks ago, clouds of smoke would have reached Vorarlberg, the Rinderer reports. That was the case again on Thursday, but the smoke didn’t have a direct effect on people: “It’s not harmful, and we don’t smell it either,” Render assures. However, the view in the mountains or in the valley may be a bit limited.

No significant impact on air quality is expected

In wildfires, large clouds of smoke and ash form, which transport small particles – such as soot particles – into the atmosphere. Once they reach the height, they can be carried many thousands of kilometers across the world along with the high altitude winds.

“Long-distance smoke transport is not unusual and is not expected to have a significant impact on air quality in Europe, but it is a clear indicator of the severity of the fires,” says Mark Parrington, CAMS principal investigator. less Wildfires are more devastating than ever.