The forest fires currently raging near Bordeaux, in the south of France, have triggered a frightening new phenomenon – fire clouds,
Also called pyrocumulonimbus, these form when blazes get so big they start triggering thunderstorms, lightning and unpredictable winds that can help spread the flames.
“The formation of pyrocumulonimbus indicates that the fire is interacting strongly with the atmosphere and has begun to generate its own weather,” says Dr Francesca Di Giuseppe, fire forecast co-ordinator at the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMRWF)
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What makes these clouds form and why are they so dangerous?
