The poor air quality fed by forest fires that burn in the grasslands left a large strip of the country wrapped again in a fog on Saturday, but Environment Canada said that the situation is expected to improve during the weekend.
Parts of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador were experiencing poor air quality and reduced visibility due to forest fires, a situation that is expected to continue until Sunday.
The meteorologist of Environment Canada, Jean-Philippe Bégin, said there are some good news: a low pressure system that passes through the meadows is expected, currently in northern Saskatchewan and is expected to move to Manitoba and northwest Ontario for Monday, bring rainfall for areas beaten by forest fires out of control.
However, this system is not expected to provide much relief in northern Alberta, where there is little rain in the forecast.
On Saturday, the agency’s air quality index mentioned that some cities such as Toronto and Montreal have a moderate to high risk. The index, which measures air quality in relation to health quality, qualifies between one and 10.
Much of Ontario remained under special statements of air quality or warnings on Saturday. The southern Ontario, who had been under a declaration of air quality on Thursdays and Fridays, saw that he got up early on Saturday.
For Quebec, a weak front should help matters in East of Quebec, including the north coast of the province. The situation should improve until Sunday in Montreal and in the south of Quebec.
A high concentration of fine particles in the air can be harmful to health and the situation of air quality is much worse in areas where the fires are burning, Bégin said.
“In no Quebec region, we have concentrations greater than 100 micrograms per cubic meter,” he said.
“Near the fires in the northwest of Ontario, northern Manitoba, northern Saskatchewan, northern Alberta, we have in some places, definitely more than 100 micrograms per cubic meter, and we have up to 600 micrograms per cubic meter, so the quality of the air is quite dangerous there.”
In Montreal, public health officials were advising residents to keep the windows closed, reduce outdoor activities and limit non -essential trips.
While the entire population is affected by air quality, the most vulnerable includes children under five, pregnant women, elderly and any person suffering from heart or respiratory problems.
