Smoke from Canadian wildfires could hit Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – Heavy smoke caused by severe Canadian wildfires earlier this summer could be making its way down to Florida later this week.

News 6 meteorologist Michelle Morgan explained that there is already smoke around the lower levels of the Jacksonville area, and models show the smoke could make its way as far south as Osceola County by Thursday.

If that happens, the smoke could linger through Thursday night into Friday morning, causing potential issues for Florida residents with respiratory issues, Morgan said.

“It’s not really common for wildfire smoke to make it all the way from Canada to Florida, but of course, it’s not impossible given that atmospheric conditions are just right for the smoke to travel that far,” Morgan said.

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According to Morgan, the smoke could cause either cooler or warmer temperatures depending on factors like the location of smoke in the atmosphere and how dense the cloud of smoke is.

Coastal areas like Flagler and northern Volusia counties could be affected by the smoke, though Brevard County is not expected to see many impacts.

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