This archive report was first published on 7 January 2020.
January 7, 2020 - A massive cloud of smoke from the devastating Australian bushfires has been spotted over 7,400 miles away in Chile and Argentina, according to local weather authorities.
Chile's Meteorology chief, Patricio Urra, told AFP that the cloud's presence was visible in the early hours of the day, causing the sun to appear with red tones due to the smoke.
The cloud has risen to 6,000 meters above sea level and is expected to remain in the atmosphere for an extended period, posing no threat to Chileans.
Argentina's Meteorological Service published satellite images of the cloud, stating that it had been transported by frontal systems moving from west to east.
Regional meteorological company Metsul warned that the cloud could even reach Rio Grande del Sur state in Brazil.
The Australian bushfires have left a trail of destruction, with an area roughly the size of the island of Ireland scorched and 25 people dead.
