Devendra Kumar
The smoke from Canadian wildfires that has been causing severe air quality issues in the United States and Canada is expected to reach Norway by Thursday, according to officials. Scientists at the Norwegian Climate and Environmental Research Institute (NILU) used a forecast model to predict the movement of the smoke through the atmosphere. The smoke has been drifting over Greenland and Iceland since June 1st, and observations in southern Norway have already recorded increasing concentrations of aerosolized particles.
While the expected arrival of the smoke in Norway may bring concerns about air quality, researchers at NILU believe that the number of particles in the air will not be harmful to human health. According to Nikolaos Evangeliou, a senior researcher at NILU, “We may be able to see some haze or smell smoke, but we do not believe that the number of particles in the air here in Norway will be large enough to be harmful to our health.”
Meanwhile, the US east coast has been experiencing hazardous levels of pollution from the wildfires burning in Canada. The smoke has affected millions of people, caused flight delays and cancellations, postponed sports events, and prompted people to dig out their pandemic-era face masks. In addition to the ongoing smoke issue, Canada has asked for help fighting more than 400 wildfires nationwide.
The weather system driving the smoke out of Canada is likely to persist for at least a few more days, according to US National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey. The prolonged exposure to smoke is taking a toll on air quality across the region, with many days experiencing hazardous or unhealthy levels of air pollution.
As the smoke continues to spread, it is clear that its impact is being felt far beyond the immediate region affected by the wildfires. From the US east coast to Norway, the effects of the Canadian wildfires are being felt, and it remains to be seen when the region can expect a return to normal air quality.