Quebec to soon see improving air quality as wildfire smoke will lift
The wildfires raging in Western Canada have made their effects felt in Central Canada, reducing air quality at the surface in Quebec. There will be good news come Sunday with cleaner air moving in
Prior to Friday, wildfire smoke had largely stayed away from Quebec, but it then made its presence known in a significant way on June 6.
The wildfires raging in Western Canada have made their effects felt into parts of Eastern Canada, reducing air quality at the surface.
Montreal quickly became the most polluted major city in the world on Friday. Air quality in the city deteriorated to a "poor" level with an index of 182 around 12 p.m.
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Gatineau and Quebec City, Que., broke a record for their worst air quality in a 24-hour period, usurping the previously low reading registered in June 2023. Montreal didn't break its record but claimed the title for having the worst air quality in the world for major cities on Friday.
A blanket of special air quality statements are still in place in the province.
Almost everyone in Canada is feeling the effects of the destructive wildfires, with similar situations taking place in Ontario, Manitoba, and the rest of the Prairies.
Watching a surge of smoke through Saturday
On Friday, a rather dense plume of smoke was observed over most regions of Quebec. Two scenarios could explain this surge in smoke.
“The jet stream carries the smoke from the fire sites to Quebec, and conversely, there is a flow from the south that also brings back the smoke that reached the eastern United States earlier this week,” mentions Nicolas Lessard, a meteorologist at MétéoMédia.
This explains why air quality is still poor across Quebec, including Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, and Sept-Îles.
Until now, Quebec had been relatively spared. The smoke was traveling as far as Europe, but the province has thus far been on the right side of it.
High pressure is usually a sign of sunshine but this weekend will be a little different. The remaining smoke over Quebec will be compressed to the lower levels, meaning another day of poor air quality on Saturday.
Over the next 24 hours, as the centre of the high pressure drifts east on Sunday, cleaner air will start to move in from the south.
This article was translated from MétéoMédia, The Weather Network’s Quebec-based sister station.