Friday, May 30

Wildfires are raging all across Canada, with thousands of evacuations and dozens of fires across the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.

Over 166 fires are currently burning across Canada, forcing thousands of evacuations across the country. At least 17,000 evacuations have been ordered in Manitoba alone, and the governors of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have declared states of emergency amid the severe blazes. 84 of the wildfires are being considered as "out-of-control," with extremely low containment rates due to strong winds and continuous dry conditions.

Thousands of others have been told that evacuations could be necessary in the future, leaving many Canadians uncertain of the future of their homes. However, they have been instructed to make immediate preparations to leave as soon as possible in case an evacuation order is put into place, helping to avoid any casualties.

Residents have described the fires to be extremely dangerous, and they are producing hazardous amounts of smoke that is beginning to plague the northern United States as well. Locals have confirmed that the suffocating smoke has spread quickly due to the strong winds, and forecasts expect the smoke to be arriving in the northern American states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.

Additionally, the weather is not helping, with no chance of rain over the next few days. High winds are continuing across the region, and temperatures are staying warm.

Unfortunately, wildfires in Canada continue to get worse as climate change worsens, and this is only the beginning of what could be a very, very long year. Canadian wildfire season lasts from May to September, meaning that the provinces still have several months to go before conditions could improve substantially. Sadly, global warming is affecting regions closer to the poles much more quickly than warmer areas-- the Arctic areas of Canada are warming over three times as fast as other regions of the Earth.

Fact of the Day (BBC): A rainbow on Venus is called a glory. Appearing as a series of coloured concentric rings, these are caused by the interference of light waves within droplets, rather than the reflection, refraction and dispersion of light that makes a rainbow.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Talk about your blessings more than you talk about your burdens. (Tim Tebow)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Nascent (adj, NASS-unt) - Nascent is a formal word used to describe something that is just beginning to exist, or in other words, is recently formed or developed.

In a Sentence: The actress is now focused on her nascent singing career.