Russian fires cause air quality worries for Finland

Finland could suffer from a reduction in air quality as a result of the blazing forest fires in Russia.

Last week, huge fires tore through woods surrounding Russia's capital Moscow, causing air pollution to dramatically affect the city.

However, nearby countries such as Finland were also hit by the heavy smoke.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) stated that a few areas of eastern Finland have shown signs of elevated air pollution levels since the weekend.

It said that air quality on Sunday (August 8th) was particularly bad and areas hit the worst were southern, central and eastern Finland.

The group added that south-westerly winds have managed to improve the air quality and reduce the health risk of the smoke.

Earlier this month, the FMI issued its concern about air quality in the country for another reason, stating exceptionally high temperatures and humid weather conditions were seen in July.

It added that these climate changes could be a direct result of an accumulation of greenhouse gases and global warming.

Posted by Lauren Steadman