Satellite images show Canadian wildfire smoke over UK

Smoke from wildfires in Canada has been picked up in satellite images of the UK, the Met Office has said.

Images taken during Thursday's sunrise showed smoke particles in the air which had travelled across the Atlantic.

The smoke has resulted in some vivid sunrises and sunsets, but it is not dangerous, the forecaster added.

Canadian officials say it is looking like the worst wildfire season ever and many cities across North America are experiencing poor air quality.

The Met Office told BBC News the smoke is too far up in the atmosphere to present a health hazard.

It was blown across the Atlantic Ocean through the jet stream - a fast flowing air current in the Earth's atmosphere.

Norway saw smoke drift over from the wildfires at the beginning of June, with scientists at the Norwegian Climate and Environmental Research Institute (NILU) saying people may "see some haze or smell smoke".

The smoke was spotted in Spain a few days ago and is predicted to stay in the atmosphere over the UK for the rest of the week.

Canada's wildfire season has started early on ground that is drier than normal, which has led to it accelerating quickly.

The country has also seen its highest emissions in 21 years because of the thick smoke, according to the EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.

Environment Canada said Toronto had the "worst air quality of any major city in the world" for a time on Wednesday.

Further south, smoke and poor air quality have been reported across many eastern US cities too.

New York's famous landmarks were barely visible in the haze earlier this month as smoke from the wildfires headed south.

Deteriorating air quality in the city at the time resulted in many sports and cultural events being cancelled, with British actress Jodie Comer stopping her Broadway show after experiencing breathing difficulties.