Smoke from Canadian wildfires reaches Ireland from across the Atlantic
Forecasts show further smoke is set to reach Europe later this week.
Smoke initially made its way across the Mediterranean on May 18 and 19, and there were reports of smoke in Greece and the region around the eastern Mediterranean.
A second, larger plume of smoke crossed the Atlantic in the last week of May and arrived in parts of northwestern Europe, including Ireland, on Sunday, June 1.
Additional plumes of smoke are expected to reach Europe in the coming days.
'Wildfires are a frequent occurrence in boreal forests from spring and through the summer months,' CAMS senior scientist, Mark Parrington, said.
'Up to the beginning of June, our data is showing that central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions.
'This data, and the fact that we are able to observe the smoke in Europe, is a reflection of the scale of the fires and impacts they have been having in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
'In CAMS we monitor events such as these in order to understand how they affect the atmosphere and air quality regionally and globally.'
CAMS forecasts show the transport of smoke is not expected to have 'a significant impact on surface air quality' as the smoke is moving at a high altitude. Typically, the effects include hazy skies and red or orange sunsets.
Air quality in Canada has been affected by smoke emitting from wildfires across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario and there was a 'significant increase' in both the number and intensity of the wildfires in Canada last month.
More than 25,000 people in the impacted areas of Canada have evacuated their homes due to the wildfires, while US states along the border with Canada have also been affected.
A state of emergency has been declared in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba for the next month.
There are also wildfires burning in parts of far eastern Russia since the beginning of April, most notably in the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai near the borders with China and Mongolia.
CAMS said carbon emissions in Russia's Far Eastern Federal District are at the highest level for this period of time since 2018.
The wildfires in Russia have also impacted some areas further afield, with forecasts showing a transport of smoke from Russia towards northeastern China and northern Japan, impacting air quality in those regions. Other plumes of smoke have also gone as far as the Arctic.
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The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Urgent summer holiday warning as cases of highly contagious ‘bull-neck' infection spread rapidly across Europe
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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
EU gives Irish dairy high marks, but goat ID and cold store gaps need action
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However, they said independent cold stores handling dairy products in temperature-controlled conditions are registered, but not approved by the DAFM (which is required by EU regulations). DAFM representatives said the 15 cold stores are subjected to risk-based official controls. In any case, the department said all the independent cold stores referred to would move from being registered cold stores to approved cold stores by June 2025. Cattle checked by the auditors were correctly identified, but the goat farm they visited had more than 50% of the adult animals and almost all the younger ones not tagged, nor identified by an alternative method. Moreover, no actions had been taken to remedy the situation by the private veterinarian contracted by the goat farmer, or by the private veterinarian in charge of animal health testing. The auditors said improper identification of the goats jeopardises the reliability of records of medical treatments, and of animal health tests. The DAFM responded with additional inspections of the holding in question. At a subsequent inspection, correct identification of all the goats was verified. And two notifications were sent to private vets, through Veterinary Ireland and the DAFM's own link to vets, reminding them of goat ID requirements. "There has been a check on goat identification added to the TB control plan," said the DAFM. A text message has also been issued to all goat farmers reminding them of their legal requirement to tag their animals. An updated step-by-step guide to the National Goat Identification System will also be issued to all goat farmers, along with an information leaflet accompanying the annual sheep and goat census. The EU auditors said records of medical treatments administered to animals were available in all holdings visited, in electronic format or hard copies. They were told by Irish officials that many farmers use a kit for the detection of antimicrobial residues in raw milk. The auditors found that temperatures of milk in bulk tanks, recorded on collection dockets issued by the truck driver, were in line with legal requirements. TB inspections After the last EU audit of the Irish dairy industry, in 2015, the DAFM requested farmers to keep records of how much raw milk from TB reactors was discarded at farm level (usually in slurry tanks). This time around, the auditors followed up on this. They found that one of the two bovine dairy holdings visited was under TB restrictions, since several reactors were detected in 2024. The second herd visited was recently de-restricted, after two clear tests. Documents were available on both holdings showing the date and results of tests, and numbers of and ID numbers of reactors and inconclusives, dates animals were sent for slaughter, and records of milk discarded. Auditors also checked a number of certificates declaring the healthy status of animals, and noted that these procedures had been adhered to by farmers. 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Conclusions The auditors concluded that a raw milk quality control system is in place in Ireland, enforced by the dairy industry, and controlled adequately by Irish officials. They also said all food business operators visited were in compliance with hygiene rules, all visited establishments had generally good structures and equipment, and satisfactory hygiene. In small and medium-sized establishments, some deficiencies were present, such as structural maintenance and cleaning issues, and some hygiene deficiencies such as rusty equipment, dust, and dirty drains. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points based systems were in place, and official controls carried out in line with procedures, with only minor shortcomings (for example, a container for rennet not identified, and returned goods from retailers stored with finished products ready to be dispatched). The auditors found that the official control system was supported by a network of authorised, accredited laboratories. Results seen for official sampling for food pathogens were satisfactory. According to the DAFM, dairy holdings in Ireland in 2023 included 15,319 bovine, five sheep, 24 goat, and three buffalo holdings. They produced around 8.5 million tonnes of cow milk, 260 tonnes of sheep milk, 1,600 tonnes of goat milk, and 676 tonnes of buffalo milk. Read More Genotyping reveals 17% of calves registered with incorrect sire
The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
'Exceptional heatwave' made this June the hottest ever for western Europe
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