Current:Home > NewsRain may soon help put out flames in Canada's worst recorded wildfire season-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Rain may soon help put out flames in Canada's worst recorded wildfire season
lotradecoin updates View Date:2024-12-25 14:37:58
Rain in the forecast could soon offer some respite for those in eastern Canada dealing with wildfires by helping firefighters quench the flames and clearing some of the particles that are making the air smoky and hazardous.
The question for Gerald Cheng, the warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, is whether the rain will be enough. In a media availability on Saturday morning, he said rainfall is expected in southwest Quebec on Sunday night, whereas fires further north in Quebec aren't set to see rain until Tuesday.
It'll be about 10 to 20 millimeters — less than an inch — of water. The impact it will have on the fires will depend on the size of the blaze, which could grow before the rain.
However, with the rain comes the possibility of lightning sparking more fires.
A return to poorer air quality is always a possibility, Cheng said. The thick orange haze that dominated New York City on Wednesday is caused by a high concentration of fine particles. The key factors for the intensity of these toxic particulates are the severity of the wildfire producing them and wind, which can help disperse them.
Smoke is still moving south into the United States, he said, and winds will drive smoke into northeast Ontario on Monday.
On Friday night, the Alberta Emergency Alert system instructed some residents of Yellowhead County and the town of Edson to evacuate, describing the fires as "becoming increasingly unpredictable."
Rain is also forecast for Alberta on Sunday.
As of Saturday afternoon, the government of Alberta reported 75 active wildfires in the province. Quebec's government says it has 133 active forest fires, 72 of which are considered out of control.
Canada's fire season extends from May through October, but these fires are abnormally prolific for this time of year. The country is on track to have its worst wildfire season on record, according to the U.S. National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. Quebec has reported 446 fires this year. Over the last 10 years, the average number of fires for this same date is 212.
"The images that we have seen so far this season are some of the most severe we have ever witnessed in Canada," Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said in a press conference earlier in June. "The current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity."
Firefighters from the U.S., France, Spain and Portugal have agreed to join the effort to control Canada's wildfires.
veryGood! (16859)
Related
- What to stream: Post Malone goes country, Sydney Sweeney plays a nun and Madden 25 hits the field
- Man charged with helping Idaho inmate escape during a hospital ambush sentenced to life in prison
- NFL says it's not involved in deciding when Tua Tagovailoa returns from concussion
- Well-known Asheville music tradition returns in a sign of hopefulness after Helene
- The Sunscreen and Moisturizer Duo That Saved My Skin on a Massively Hot European Vacation
- In Competitive Purple Districts, GOP House Members Paint Themselves Green
- Is Boar's Head deli meat safe to eat? What experts say amid listeria outbreak
- How sugar became sexual and 'sinful' − and why you shouldn't skip dessert
- State, local officials failed 12-year-old Pennsylvania girl who died after abuse, lawsuits say
- Opinion: KhaDarel Hodge is perfect hero for Falcons in another odds-defying finish
Ranking
- Kim Kardashian Says Her Four Kids Try to Set Her Up With Specific Types of Men
- What’s next for oil and gas prices as Middle East tensions heat up?
- North Carolina lawmakers to vote on initial Helene relief
- Ryan Reynolds Makes Hilarious Case for Why Taking Kids to Pumpkin Patch Is Where Joy Goes to Die
- US shoppers sharply boosted spending at retailers in July despite higher prices
- Why Sean Diddy Combs Sex Trafficking Case Was Reassigned to a New Judge
- These Fun Facts About Travis Kelce Are All Game Winners
- Don’t fall for fake dentists offering veneers and other dental work on social media
Recommendation
-
Judge tells Google to brace for shakeup of Android app store as punishment for running a monopoly
-
You'll Cry a River Over Justin Timberlake's Tribute to Jessica Biel for Their 12th Anniversary
-
Judge denies an order sought by a Black student who was punished over his hair
-
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's NSFW Halloween Decorations Need to Be Seen to Be Believed
-
Usher concert postponed hours before tour opener in Atlanta
-
Donald Glover Cancels Childish Gambino Tour Following Hospitalization
-
Donald Glover Cancels Childish Gambino Tour Following Hospitalization
-
'That '90s Show' canceled by Netflix, show's star Kurtwood Smith announces on Instagram