File:Ireland (MODIS 2018-07-02).jpg

English: High temperatures, drought conditions, and smoky skies combined to dull the typically emerald-green color of Ireland when viewed from space in late June, 2018.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the island on June 28 as it passed overhead. This was the same day that a record heat wave pushed temperatures to 89.6 °F (32°C) at Shannon airport and 86.7°F (30.4°C) at Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, according to an article in the Belfast Telegraph. The article also reported that Translink Rail was forced to cancel and delay services as line temperatures reached 122 °F (50°C) and began to buckle. The hot temperatures threaten to cause long-term water restrictions in many areas of Ireland.

Along with the heat comes the fires. Each year traditional farmers across Ireland use fire as a management tool, in particular to burn gorse (a pea-like shrub with a pretty yellow flower) and heather to freshen pasture for livestock. The burning begins in April but can continue through summer. Such fires aid farming, but they created a great deal of smoke – and can escape, creating wildfires. When the vegetation is parched, wildfires spread viciously and quickly. The most common causes of fire in Ireland includes not only agriculture but also malicious or accidental ignition by people.