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Sun Disappears In Brazil As Amazon Forest Fires Turn The Afternoon Skies Ash Grey

bySwati Dubey
23rd August 2019
2 minute read

The Amazon rain forest, popularly called the ‘Lungs of the Earth’ has practically turned into a smoke chamber since the past 20 days. The tragic news of over 20% of the largest rain forest in the world turning to ashes in several large wildfires has shocked the world.

According to the data published by Congressional Research Service, every year 72,400 wildfires burn an average of 7.0 million acres of forest around the world. As per the latest data collected by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), 72,843 fires have engulfed the forests in the country this year, that’s 80 percent more as compared to last year.

image source

The impact of the wildfire is so intense that the smoke thus emitted has covered many cities in the country in a dark haze. Sau Paolo, the largest city in Brazil, and the state of Rondonia, which is situated around 2700 km away from the origin of the forest fire also saw a daytime blackout caused by the smoke of the forest fire brought via strong winds.

People have been trying to figure out the cause of the daytime darkness that is a rare phenomenon resulting from the wildfire. The probable reason for the unusual it is considered to be the arrival of a cold mass of air, which increased the number of low clouds and fog over the city.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gFOlOlLtV/

Moreover, the expansion of the cold front caused a change in the wind patterns that brought smoke from the Amazons to the inner parts of the country.

People from Brazil took to Twitter to share the pictures of the impact of Amazon’s wildfire in the city.

NASA has also captured the devastating pictures of Amazon’s wildfire and its smoke from space.

https://twitter.com/outof_mymind23/status/1164260201396146177?s=20

The heart-breaking pictures have left people all over the world concerned. Subsequently, people came out in support of Brazil on social media and the hashtag #prayforamazonia became a global Twitter trend.

https://twitter.com/ghettowong/status/1164788188524662785?s=20

The lungs of our planet that otherwise work as natural air purifiers are now ablaze, emitting hazardous gases instead. It is crucial that remedial action be taken at the earliest! However, it appears to be raining in parts of the forest and we hope that the raging fires are soon extinguished.

Cover Image Source: Left, Right

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