Southern Ontario to bid adieu to wildfire smoke as air quality improves
Wildfire smoke in Ontario has begun to depart southern Ontario skies on Sunday as a centre of high pressure moves east, allowing for cleaner air to move in
Air quality will begin to improve in southern Ontario as we conclude the weekend. You may have noticed a less smoky sunrise on Sunday morning.
The other sign of an impending improvement is the dropping of special air quality statements, which were in effect for parts of the region on Saturday.
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Significant wildfire activity across the western half of the country has sent plumes of smoke from the Arctic to the tropics—and even across the pond toward Europe.
Some of that smoke made its way down to the surface, reducing air quality and leading to a distinct burning smell at times for multiple days.
Thick smoke Thursday evening and overnight brought the Air Quality Index (AQI) for much of the region to extreme lows, rivalling the GTA's record-lowest average AQI over a 24-hour period and breaking that very record in London.
Previously, much of Ontario's record-lowest AQIs were set in June and July of 2023—Canada's most destructive wildfire season to date.
As the centre of the high drifts east on Sunday, cleaner air will start to move in from the south on Sunday.
More substantial air quality improvements are expected on Monday across southern Ontario as surface smoke begins to disperse and will be replaced by a southerly flow.
Thumbnail courtesy of Getty Images.
WATCH: Big concerns for the air quality in various parts of Canada
Thumbnail courtesy of NOAA.