Fires: Adverse pyrometeorological conditions – Wind carries heat 700 meters

The unfavorable ones pyrometeorological conditions will persist in a large part of eastern and southern Greece, during the two days of Tuesday and Wednesday, based on the latest available forecast data from the FLAME pyrometeorological unit of the National Observatory of Athens (EAA)/meteo.gr.

In particular, for today it is noted that the very high potential for the occurrence of forest fires driven by the wind is maintained in Attica (including Kythera), W. Boeotia, K. and S. Evia, Corinth, Cyclades, and locally in Argolis, Laconia, Crete, Chios, Upper Lesbos and Skyros.

Despite the slight weakening of the winds, atmospheric conditions are expected to be warmer and remain dry in the above areas, which will facilitate the ignition and rapid spread of the fire.

In the above geographic zones, special attention should be paid to areas where north-northeast winds will “align” with topography and forest fuel (eg, when the wind blows perpendicular to the slope of a densely vegetated mountain mass), thereby maximizing the potential for extreme fire behavior.

In addition, the meteo notes that the pyrometeorological potential for the occurrence of forest fires guided by induction column (self-guided) is maintained in W. Peloponnese (Ilia, Achaia) and W. Sterea, with a small chance for the formation of fire clouds.

High fire risk is also expected, based on the Canadian Fire Meteorological Indicator System and the analysis of fire meteorological forecasts, in Aetoloakarnania, Peloponnese, Thessaly, Phocis, Phthiotida, Sporades, Thrace, Limnos, Samos, Ikaria, Karpathos and Rhodes.

Kawtres at a distance of 700 meters is carried by the wind

Regarding Monday’s fires, as indicated by the meteo for the agroforestry fire that took place in the area east of Schimatari in Boeotia, the preliminary analysis of very high resolution satellite images made by the National Observatory of Athens from the European Sentinel-2 satellite, few just minutes after the fire starts, it highlights the main characteristics of the fire-meteorological conditions of a wind-driven fire.

These are:

• The almost horizontal spread of the smoke column, as a result of the strengthened and very dry northwesterly winds that were blowing in the area.
• The intense burning of dry available fuel under conditions of very low relative humidity (8 – 12 %).
• There is also an indication from the satellite image that the fire, driven by the wind, exhibited temporary extreme behavior as it carried heat up to 700 meters downwind of the northwest wind.

RES-EMP

View the news feed and get the latest news.