Hot-burning B.C. wildfires creating their own weather, spawning thunderstorms and lightning strikes
Wildfires in the British Columbia Interior are pumping so much hot smoke and ash high into the atmosphere, they are actually creating their own micro-weather.
Meteorologists call the resulting phenomenon pyro-cumulonimbus clouds, and say they can spawn thunderstorms and lightning strikes which can then ignite more fires.
“In many ways they look like a very severe thunderstorm from the ground and from space,” said Michael Fromm, a meteorologist with the United States Naval Research Laboratory. “And so they will generate lightning just because of the same mechanism that generates lightning in a regular thunderstorm.”
Thousands of lightning strikes in B.C. over the last few days are blamed for igniting dozens of new wildfires – and officials expect more to spark in the coming days.
“To the extent that you have these lighting up or impinging on communities, you have to be very mindful because these storms, when they occur, are dynamic feedback loops within themselves,” said Fromm. “They create their own weather, exacerbate their own fire weather.”
Fromm went on to say with more unseasonably warm weather in the forecast, and already tinder-dry conditions in B.C.’s forests, he expects the wildfire situation could potentially get much worse as the summer progresses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.