While more than 560 wildfires burn across the province, it may come as no surprise to hear that B.C. and areas of Alberta currently have the worst air quality in North America, according to climate science analysis website Berkeley Earth.
Global News meteorologist Kristi Gordon said there is no change in the weather pattern yet, and the thick smoke will be sticking around for a while.
“We’ve had a strong upper-level ridge across Western Canada for many days and it’s that ridge that really creates heat and dryness, but it also traps in all of the smoke across the B.C.-Alberta region,” Gordon said.
“[The high pressure really just traps that smoke right over our area and it doesn’t allow for any transport in the upper atmosphere.”
READ MORE: ‘The weather is literally smoke’: air quality worsens in Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley
Gordon said there might be a bit of a reprieve by late Wednesday across the South Coast.
“But we expect to see it continue to be heavy and thick … right into the interior regions.”
Gordon adds weather systems aren’t expected to change enough in the next few days to clear out the smoke.