'Apocalyptic': New Zealand shrouded in smoke from Australian bushfires

Swathes of the South Island are affected by haze with the sky in places turning orange

New Zealanders in the South Island of the country have woken up to a red sun and orange skies on new year’s day, with the smoke from Australia’s catastrophic bushfires drifting east overnight.

The Met service, New Zealand’s meteorological agency, said the smoke had drifted 2000km east across the Tasman sea and was “clearly visible” in satellite imagery taken from above the South Island. Smoke had been drifting east for weeks, the agency said, but had increased on Wednesday due to the severity of the Australian fires and an unbroken northwest flow.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2SOpaVc