É«É«À²

On Thursday morning, É«É«À² had some of the worst air quality in the world as forest fire smoke from the Prairies blew into the city. A previous special air quality statement for the city was lifted by Environment Canada later that day.

“Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” the agency said, reminding people to monitor alerts and check forecasted air quality health index values regularly.

Environment Canada forecast for É«É«À²’s long weekend

Saturday is expected to be sunny, with the local smoke expected to blow in around the late afternoon. There will be a daytime high of 27 C, feeling like 30 with humidity and a UV index of seven.

At night, skies will be clear but the smoke will stay steady as temperatures dip to 16 C.

Sunday will be sunny until clouds starts to cover in the early afternoon. A high of 30 C is expected with the humidex reaching 35 and the UV index climbing to eight. Smoke will persist throughout the day but is expected to let up at night along with temperatures which will drop to 17 C.

The sun will be out again on Monday and temperatures are expected to hit a high of 30 C. Nighttime will see clear skies and a low of 18 C.

How to protect yourself from smoky air

As smoke levels increase, so do the health risks, Environment Canada warns. If possible, stay indoors and reduce or reschedule any outdoor activities. 

When you’re indoors, keep your windows and doors closed as much as possible to keep smoky air out, the agency said, but you should prioritize keeping cool when there is extreme heat and poor air quality at the same time.

Experiencing mild symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough because of the smoke isn’t uncommon, the agency said. More serious symptoms such as wheezing, chest pains or severe cough are causes for concern though and a reason to seek immediate medical assistance, Environment Canada added. 

Those more likely to be impacted — including people aged 65 and older, pregnant people, infants and young children, people with an existing illness or chronic health condition, and people who work outdoors — should take extra caution to protect themselves from the smoky air.