Europe grapples with influx of smoke from Canada wildfires

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) — Smoke from wildfires in Canada reached Europe in the second week of June and is predicted to continue flowing there until Thursday, according to the EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) on Tuesday.

Wildfires ramped up in Canada last month and grew through June, producing record levels of smoke that has been traveling long distances across the Atlantic and reaching Europe.

"Fire radiative power (FRP) for the country as a whole in the first three weeks of June was significantly higher than the 2003-2022 mean, with estimated carbon emissions at over 100 megatonnes for the month," the CAMS said.

Noting that the smoke was having a significant impact on air quality in Europe, the agency said it was actively tracking the locations of active blazes that have been, measuring their intensity, estimating emissions, and predicting the impact of the resulting smoke on the atmosphere.