Nasa says bushfire smoke to make its way around the globe

Since September, wildfires have been destroying huge swathes of Australia. It’s unclear so far just what the final damage will be, but according to NASA, the effects will soon be felt worldwide.

Apparently, we now know that smoke from the bushfires will soon circle the Earth and come back to Australia. The huge infernos have been pushing smoke across the Pacific Ocean, and around New Year’s Day, NASA reported that plumes had crossed South America.

"The smoke is expected to make at least one full circuit around the globe," a spokesperson said.

A fleet of NASA satellites have been working together to analyse the aerosols and smoke from the fires. Calling the conditions, like “searing heat combined with historic dryness” that have exacerbated the fires “unprecedented”, NASA posted their findings.

They also found that the smoke is having a “dramatic” effect on New Zealand, causing severe air quality issues across the country. Using the UV aerosol index, NASA also found that the smoke will circle the entire globe.

On the ground, many Australian people are struggling to breathe through the smoke.

NASA often play a part in detecting wildfires, and their Earth-observing satellites and other instruments provide valuable understanding of everything that’s going on.

More: Many of the viral maps of the Australia wildfires are inaccurate and fake