Canada wildfires smoke turns UK skies orange

[highplainsdem]

Source: BBC

The sun and sky had a much more eerie appearance to it on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

It was a sign that smoke from wildfires burning more than 4,000 miles (6,400km) away in central Canada had made it across the Atlantic to sit in the skies over the UK.

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The presence of wildfire smoke from North America over the UK, whilst not common, does occasionally happen during the summer months.

Large plumes of smoke that rise from intense fires, that can burn for weeks on end, sometimes reach the upper atmosphere to be picked up by the jet stream - a zone of strong winds, close to the level at which planes fly. These winds then carry the smoke particles across the Atlantic.

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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/weather/articles/c4g2k9lzjeko

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Some photos at the link.

Found out about this first thanks to a photo taken this morning by Michelle Cowbourne, whose photos I've occasionally posted on DU.

Eerie and orange. This morning's sunrise from Glastonbury Tor. The strong orange colour was caused by the smoke from the Canadian wildfires.

— (@glastomichelle.bsky.social) 2025-06-08T11:32:37.448Z