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Ignacio Lillo
Malaga
Wednesday, 28 June 2023, 12:03
Is there a calima in the skies of Malaga? Well yes and no. Actually there is matter in suspension, but it is not the usual Sahara desert dust, instead its origin is much sadder and more distant. Canada is experiencing the worst season of forest fires in its history, which have already burned more than 7.6 million hectares of forests, according to official sources in the North American country.
The situation is of such a magnitude that the smoke has now crossed the Atlantic and reached Europe. In the skies above Malaga it began to be noticed at nightfall on Tuesday, and today (Wednesday, 28 June) it appears with a greater intensity, after having travelled more than 7,000 kilometres carried by the winds. "Yes, it has arrived", was the forceful response of the director of the Aemet meteorological centre in the city, Jesús Riesco. "It affects western Andalucía more but it is also noticeable in Malaga.”
The presence of the remains of the combustion of the forests can be seen in the form of "cloudy skies, which give a sensation of haze" he said.
"They really are particles suspended in the atmosphere, to the eye it is similar to a calima, which normally in Malaga is due to dust from the Sahara desert, but in this case it is matter from the combustion of fires in Canada," Riesco added.
The cloud of smoke is constantly changing and does not travel all the time at the same altitude, but at a considerably high level. "This cloud seems to be confined above 1,100 metres of altitude and therefore should not affect populations below that level," the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IMPA) said in a statement. The mass is composed of very small particles (less than 2.5 micrometres) and gases, especially carbon monoxide. This results in reduction in visibility and the brightness of the Sun, as well as a change to the colour of the sky.
The concentration in the atmosphere is small and does not affect ground level, so it does not pose any health problem. Riesco pointed out that this situation is causing difficulties in nearby cities in the United States, such as Chicago, where visibility is very reduced due to the high concentration of smoke particles.
In the case of Malaga province, it may last until tomorrow and will fade towards the weekend, although it is difficult to model and also depends on the evolution of Canadian fires.
José Luis Escudero, head of the SUR weather blog, is monitoring the situation through visible satellite images, in which he could already see it coming a few days ago. “Yesterday afternoon it arrived towards the Strait, and it entered Malaga in the evening. It is similar to when there is a calima, and it can easily be confused, but it really is smoke.” And he added: "The sky looks dirty, it is not the blue that it was just 48 hours ago. Between tomorrow and Friday it will dissipate.”
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