Cleaner air to soon sweep out wildfire smoke in southern Ontario
Wildfire smoke in Ontario has dropped air quality to poor levels, but it will finally begin to improve on Sunday as the centre of high pressure moves east
Poor air quality will continue in southern Ontario to start the weekend, all thanks to an arriving ridge that will suppress the smoke in the lower levels.
Special air quality statements are in place in Ontario, with new alerts trickling down into parts of the southern regions of the province.
DON’T MISS: Best practices to keep yourself safe from wildfire smoke
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.
Most of the smoke we’ve seen of late over southern Ontario has remained elevated, contributing to hazy skies and vivid sunsets.
Rain and strong winds that pushed through the region Wednesday and Thursday helped push some of that smoke down to the surface, reducing air quality and leading to a distinct burning smell at times.
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.
High pressure is usually a sign of sunshine but this weekend will be a little different for southern Ontario. The remaining smoke over the region will be compressed to the lower levels.
There will be some good news come Sunday, though.
As the centre of the high drifts east on Sunday, cleaner air will start to move in from the south on Sunday.
More air quality improvements are expected on Monday across southern Ontario as surface smoke begins to disperse and will be replaced by a southerly flow.
Reduced air quality could prove irritating to vulnerable people, such as those living with chronic respiratory problems.
WATCH: Big concerns for the air quality in various parts of Canada
Thumbnail courtesy of NOAA.