Meanwhile,
Why sky pale right now:
Despite anticyclonic and particularly hot weather, the sky blue seems very pale in recent days in France. Meanwhile, How to explain this phenomenon? Therefore, Météo Cities reveals the multiple reasons.
A Blue sometimes very pale – Why sky pale right now
You may have noticed it. Therefore, in recent days the blue of the sky sometimes seems very pale. Furthermore, We often have the impression that a veil is present, even without clouds. For example, As the timelapse shows below, the Paris sky adopted this pallor during the day of Monday August 11, 2025. In addition, there is also a kind of whitish mist above the horizon. In addition, This is an observation that we find in many regions of the country.
Timelapse du Ciel de Paris this Monday, August 11, 2025 – Météo Paris
In addition, it can be noted that the sunrise and sunsets tend to offer us more pronounced orange shades than in normal times. For example, We sometimes have the impression that a golden veil encompasses the whole horizon in the first. In addition, last hours of the day. Nevertheless, The photo below, which shows the sunrise in the Ain this Tuesday, August 12, 2025, is a good example.
Sunrise in Viriat (01) this Tuesday August 12, 2025 – infoclimat.fr
Canadian fire smoke – Why sky pale right now
Last week. an abnormally dynamic jet current was circulating above the Atlantic Ocean with speeds sometimes reaching 250 km/h! This altitude wind corridor (around 9000m) which links America. Europe why sky pale right now transported with it notable quantities of smoke from Canadian fires, the activity of which remains very important. Problem, this smoke found itself trapped under the powerful dome of high pressures which covers France. Since then, she has stagnated and tends to lower towards the low layers, crushed by anticyclone.
Aerosol concentrations from forest combustion on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 – ECMWF
The satellite reveals this presence of smoke in the atmosphere, especially in the sunrise and sunset because the grazing light highlights them. The image of Monday. August 11, 2025 at dawn showed the presence of smoke plumes above many French regions, especially in the western half or in the Mediterranean. Furthermore. it is clearly distinguished that smoke stagnates in the Alpine valleys while the alpine peaks pass over, under the effect of the anticyclone which crushes these smoke to why sky pale right now the low layers. This is exactly the same situation that occurred last June!
Satellite image of Monday August 11, 2025 at daybreak – EUMETSAT
Ozone pollution
However, the pale sky is not explained only by these fumes from Canada fires. During a heat wave. heat and sunshine promote chemical reactions between certain pollutants emitted by human activities (nitrogen oxides) and air oxygen. These reactions produce ozone, polluting and irritating gas for respiratory tract. As hot air stagnates and is very renewed, this pollution accumulates, causing sometimes high concentrations (especially in urban areas). Often, ozone pollution forms a whitish mist in terms of the horizon.
Diagram showing the process of forming ozone during hot weather – AFP
why sky pale right now
The average ozone rate card in the air of this Tuesday, August 12, 2025 reveals this pollution currently present on France very well. Apart from the center-west of the country. all regions are currently exposed to high rates, particularly the south and the east, to the Hauts-de-France. The largest rates are encountered from Alsace to the Mediterranean. It is therefore not surprising to see a whitish mist in the sky, which fade his blue.
Average ozone rate in the air this Tuesday, August 12, 2025 – Prev’air
The Sahara sand
Finally, there is now a third reason explaining why the sky blue is currently pale: the sand of the Sahara! Indeed, the latter has been raised from the Sahara to the Canaries in recent days. The anticyclonic dome present on why sky pale right now Europe propels heat to our regions but also sand dust. which reach many French regions this Tuesday, August 12, 2025, in moderate concentrations.
Sahara sand dust concentrations this Tuesday, August 12, 2025 – SKIRON
Moreover, the satellite image revealed very well these sandy dust at dusk this Monday, August 11, 2025. We observe these sandy shades above the Canaries. then going up over the Iberian Peninsula and the Gulf of Gascogne to reach France. These dust tends to alleviate the blue of the sky. can promote spectacular sunsets and sunrise with exacerbated orange shades.
Satellite image of Monday August 11, 2025 at dusk – EUMETSAT
Between fumes of Canadian fires, ozone pollution and sand dust in why sky pale right now the Sahara, it is therefore difficult to enjoy a clear blue sky on France and the situation will not evolve by the weekend. You now know why the sky seems pale to us.
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