The fires ravaging Portugal are leaving their mark on much of Galicia, which has woken up to a thick layer of smoke and both the moon and the sun tinged with a reddish hue.
The aftermath of the fires in the neighbouring country, which have already caused the death of seven people, is particularly noticeable in southern Galicia. In the city of Vigo, the day began with an intense smell of smoke in the air.
Sources from MeteoGalicia, consulted by Europa Press, have explained that this phenomenon is due to an “optical effect”, in which sunlight passes through a dense cloud containing smoke from the fires in Portugal.
In the southern part of the region, with particular incidence in Baiona and Vigo, the sky remains covered by smoke. In Santiago, although the morning also started off cloudy, the sky has been clearing throughout the day.
The same sources have indicated that with the increase in temperatures the situation should improve, although they have warned that, if the fires persist and the wind continues to blow from the south, smoke could return to the region.
As for air quality, the measuring stations in Galicia indicate favourable and good levels. MeteoGalicia continues to monitor PM 2.5 particles, which are generated by fires, in real time. “There are slight fluctuations, but no alert has been issued,” the organisation clarified.
The Government’s sub-delegate in Pontevedra, Abel Losada, explained, during the presentation of a new mobile application that allows users to consult the air quality index in real time, that this morning the stations in the province indicated “good” air in two of them and “reasonably good” in the other six.
Losada also said that, despite the increase in nitrogen levels due to smoke since dawn, the situation has remained under control.
Meteored, on its social media account ‘X’, reported that the smoke covers an area of 100,000 square kilometres over the Atlantic.
Currently, four fires are still active in Galicia affecting more than 20 hectares, adding up to a total of more than 300 hectares burned. In the municipality of A Gudiña, two fires are affecting the parishes of Pentes, which is stabilised, and Barxa, which is still active, consuming 200 and 90 hectares respectively.
