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Clouds of smoke from Canada paralyze Munich: What's going on?
A spooky weather phenomenon over southern Germany: smoke from Canadian forest fires obscures visibility and affects air quality.
Clouds of smoke from Canada paralyze Munich: What's going on?
Milky cloudy skies and air polluted with fine dust – what’s going on in Bavaria? While many people in Munich and other southern Germans are still wondering whether the clouding of the sky is due to known Sahara dust, the truth is a completely different story. The cause is the devastating forest fires in Canada, which have released huge amounts of smoke into the atmosphere since May. This is now moving across the Atlantic and has enveloped Germany in a milky haze since Whit Monday. Loud Soester Anzeiger The cloudiness can be observed primarily in southern Germany, but also in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
In Munich in particular, the air quality is dramatically affected. Jan Schenk from The Weather Channel Germany reports that the city is number one in the air pollution rankings. Professor Thomas Adam from the Institute for Chemistry and Environmental Technology at the Bundeswehr University in Neubiberg noted a “massive increase” in fine dust pollution on Tuesday: PM-10 levels temporarily reached an alarming 95 micrograms per cubic meter of air, much to the concern of experts, as the legally permissible daily maximum value is 50 micrograms. This is not just caused by traffic flows, but rather is a result of soot clouds from North America. The Süddeutsche Zeitung In this context, mentions health risks that can arise from such high levels of fine dust, such as inflammatory reactions or even strokes and heart attacks.
Origin of the problems
The completely unexpected weather conditions surprised people in Bavaria, who initially thought it was Sahara dust. But the anticipation of bathing weather is clouded by the forecasts announced by meteorologist Thore Hansen from the German Weather Service (DWD). The clouds of smoke are expected to remain in the Alpine region for the time being, however, according to reports Mirror that the smoke can continue to reach Europe as long as the fires in Canada continue.
Munich is a pioneer when it comes to air pollution, where the milky-white sky is noticeable along with an unusual smell. Professor Adam reported the highest values on Tuesday afternoon, which slowly fell again in the evening. Forecasts say visibility will improve on Wednesday and while the dry spells may pass, Saharan dust and the threat of a "tropical summer" are likely to return from Friday.
What's next?
The developments of the next few days could be decisive for the Bavarian cities. With further rain over the weekend, the air could possibly clear again. When asked how the people of Munich and other affected people should react to the increased fine dust pollution, all that remains to be said is: have a good hand and be more careful in the sun.
The current situation makes it clear how vulnerable our environment is and how quickly a natural process can reach alarming heights. Whatever happens with the imperial weather conditions, one thing is clear: we have a cloudy look ahead, and the coming days will show it.