A raging inferno of wildfires has engulfed vast tracts of Canada's wilderness, leaving in its wake a trail of devastation that extends far beyond the country's borders. More than 900 blazes are currently burning across the nation, consuming an estimated 3 million hectares of land and posing significant challenges for emergency services in multiple provinces, particularly the Northwest Territories and Ontario.
The intense heat and dry conditions that have ignited these fires have also had a profound impact on air quality across Canada. Smoke from the blazes has been carried by prevailing winds, polluting the air in affected regions and even reaching as far as northern Europe. Authorities are warning of a prolonged period of poor air quality, with the risk of further outbreaks remaining high as North America enters its peak fire season.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Americas, a freak weather event has seen temperatures soar to unprecedented levels in Argentina. The city of Salta recorded its warmest ever overnight minimum temperature last weekend, failing to drop below 26C despite being in the midst of winter. This remarkable figure surpasses the previous record of 22.2C, set during summer in 1953.
The extreme warmth in Salta was attributed to the Zonda wind, a local phenomenon caused by westerly airflow crossing the Andes mountains. As this air descends on the leeward side, it undergoes a warming and drying process known as the Foehn effect. While common globally, the intensity observed in Salta was highly unusual, with experts suggesting that a rapidly developing El Niño may have contributed to making the incoming air mass warmer than average.
Further afield, the strengthening El Niño is also forecast to exacerbate typhoon activity in the western Pacific. Tropical Depression 11 has intensified into Tropical Storm Noul north of the Philippines and is expected to develop into a typhoon over the next few days as it tracks between the Philippines and Taiwan. A projected landfall on China’s south-east coast on Sunday morning local time as a Category 1 storm raises concerns about potential damage and disruption.