Update: The smoky air in Greater Victoria was expected to clear today but the haze persists as a special air quality warning from Environment Canada stands until further notice.
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Update: The smoky air in Greater Victoria caused by wildfires should start to clear today, Environment Canada says.
A change in weather patterns will bring moist, cool air from the Pacific, pushing the wildfire smoke eastward.
The smoke is coming from the east and the south, from fires in the B.C. Interior and Washington state.
Temperatures today are a little lower that they might be because the smoke is obscuring the sun.
Showers are in the forecast from late Thursday to Saturday, and temperatures will be more typical of early September by Friday.
Forecast highs for Friday, Saturday, Sunday are 21, 16 and 21.
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Particulate in smoke from wildfires reached ground level in Victoria and Colwood Tuesday, prompting the government to release a smoky skies health bulletin for Vancouver Island.
“We are definitely seeing smoke at the ground level in Victoria now,” said Earle Plain, an air-quality meteorologist for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Here in Nanaimo, it’s overhead in the sky.”
According to ministry readings, air particulate recorded at Topaz Park in Victoria and city hall in Colwood were the highest on the Island and posed a moderate health risk.
“It’s very fine stuff,” said Plain, noting the bulletin is different than an air-quality advisory as it is not solely linked to high concentrations of particulate recorded, but also to smoke.
Plain said particulate smoke can be a health concern for people with heart and lung conditions as well as small children, but can also affect otherwise healthy people.
“The important thing is to listen to your body. If you have a tightening in your chest or trouble breathing, scale back what you’re doing,” he said. A cough and irritated throat are other symptoms to watch for.
Anyone affected by the smoke in the air is advised to reduce their exposure by staying indoors or visiting a cool public space such as a shopping mall. If symptoms persist, they should seek medical attention.
Lisa Flett lives in the Royal Oak area of Saanich and said she woke up Tuesday feeling like an elephant was on her chest. Flett and her 12-year-old son have asthma and the smoke kept them inside, coughing and struggling to breathe.
“You could see the ash falling here,” Flett said. She turned off her air conditioning to keep the smoke out, despite the hot weather. “We’ll stay inside as much as we can and have masks if we go outside.”
According to the government’s online smoke forecasting, wildfires in Washington state, Oregon and the B.C. Interior contributed to casting smoky skies over the Island.
“Smoke is causing poor air quality and reducing visibility. Smoke is expected or occurring,” said Environment Canada in a special air-quality statement for Victoria, Saanich and the West Shore on Tuesday.
The weather centre issued a special weather statement, saying the high ridge of pressure over the province would continue to build and that temperatures are unpredictable with the smoke, which blocks the sun.
“The concentration and location of wildfire smoke will be a wild-card factor for forecasting temperatures and will affect the potential for records to be broken,” said the statement.
“An onshore flow will develop later [today] and a cooler air mass is expected to spread over the south coast as the smoke moves eastward.”
The smoke is expected to clear by Thursday, when light showers are in the forecast.
