Red skies over Finland as Canadian wildfire smoke arrives
The most colourful sunset is expected on Tuesday evening.
People in Finland may see unusually red glowing sunsets in coming evenings, as smoke from Canadian forest fires drift over the Nordic country.
The smoke particles have already reached high into the atmosphere, so they won’t cause health problems or unusual odours.
The red colouration is caused by the particles scattering the sun’s rays, according to Yle meteorologist Matti Huutonen.
The reddest skies are expected on Tuesday evening, according to Huutonen, because of the clear conditions in much of the country.
Lapland’s twilight and cloudy skies ahead
On Tuesday, the sun will set at around 8:58 pm in southern areas and at approximately 9:41 pm in northern Finnish Lapland.
The weather will become cloudier later in the week, as a low pressure system is expected to arrive from the west on Wednesday, which will also bring local showers.
This week will not be the first time that Canadian fires have caused skies over Finland to glow red, as the phenomenon has occurred in the summers of 2018 and 2023.
Unprecedented wildfire challenges for Canada
Canada has battled continuous wildfires for months, with tens of thousands of people being evacuated from their homes in western parts of the country.
The fires have spread across nearly five million hectares of land in the North American country, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
Last year Canada endured the most devastating series of wildfires in its history. According to the Canadian Climate Institute, the increase in forest fires is due to global climate change, which makes blazes larger and burn hotter than before.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Wildfire smoke closes Hwy 1 between Enterprise, N.W.T., and Alberta, CBC News
Finland: Russian forest fire smoke drifts into Finnish Lapland, Yle News
Norway: Smoke from Canadian wildfires forecast to reach Norway, The Associated Press
Russia: Kola wildfire smoke drift into Nordic neighbours, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: High risk of wildfires in many parts of Sweden, including North, Radio Sweden
United States: Wildfires in Anchorage? Climate change sparks disaster fears, The Associated Press
