Thick smoke drifting from the Australian bushfires is making its way to New Zealand. Photo / MetService
Thick smoke drifting from the Australian bushfires is making its way to New Zealand. Photo / MetService
Thick smoke drifting from the Australian bushfires is making its way to New Zealand, which may cause our skies to change colour.
Satellite imagery from MetService showed the smoke moving towards the west coast of the South Island.
MetService meteorologist Samkelo Magwala told the Herald some South Islandresidents may see a reddish colour in the clouds around the sun this evening.
He said, unlike the bright orange skies Kiwis saw in January of 2020, tonight’s event was unlikely to put on the same show.
“We have seen some smoke being detected, as well as in some of the webcams.
“However, given the [amount] of clouds .... and the fires won’t be as significant as five years ago, which means we won’t be in a position to see that orange sky.”
Orange skies over Auckland in 2020.
Photo/Angie Hari-Billing
Magwala said these factors would likely prevent us from seeing the bright colour from six years ago.
In 2020, police in New Zealand were flooded with 111 calls about the “eerie” orange and yellow-tinted skies in Auckland.
