Metro Vancouver’s air quality remains off the charts Monday morning, at a 10+ on the air quality scale, while a public advisory has now been in place for a week.
Smoke is extensive across south and central B.C., Global BC meteorologist Mark Madryga said, and due to the lack of rainfall and insignificant airflow, the layers of smoke will likely hold at least through Tuesday.
More smoke could move in Wednesday and Thursday from the wildfires in Oregon and Washington State, but some much-needed rain is in the forecast for Thursday and Friday, which Madryga said could help to improve air quality.
The good news is that the dense layer of smoke from the weekend has moved past, according to Geoff Doerksen, Metro Vancouver’s air quality planner.
“As that smoke lingers, it will be a little unclear how quickly it will clear out but we do expect some improvements over today and tomorrow,” he told Global News on Monday. “Certainly, the smoke will stick around close to the ground.
“People with medical conditions or infections such as COVID-19 should really postpone or reduce outdoor physical activity until the advisory is lifted.”
Air pollutants can affect infants and the elderly the most, as well as anyone with chronic underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and lung or heart disease.