For the first time since wildfire smoke from northwestern Ontario filled the skies over Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and parts of the northern United States, Saturday night shows a hopeful change in air quality concerns.
A new forecast from Environment Canada released Saturday morning indicates that air quality levels should drop from a severe maximum of 10+ (or “very high risk”) to a much safer level of 2 by Sunday morning (which is deemed “low risk”). We can expect levels to start declining as early as Saturday evening, with a forecasted level of 6 anticipated by nighttime (classified as “moderate risk”).
Data courtesy of Environment Canada
The amount of smoke pollution will fluctuate throughout the day. Environment Canada notes that conditions might improve and worsen at different times from morning into early afternoon.
Environment Canada’s orange air quality alert remains active and will likely stay in effect through the weekend. Smoky skies will be accompanied by a chance of thunderstorms early on Saturday, shifting to just a 30 percent chance of showers later in the afternoon.
This air situation may lead to more event cancellations or delays in the area over the weekend, following similar occurrences earlier in the week.
As of 7 a. m. on Saturday, there has been no update from the City of Kitchener regarding whether the Kitchener Market’s outdoor watch party for the World Cup will go ahead for the exciting 5:00 p. m. match between France and England.
The expected high temperature for Saturday is around 26 degrees Celsius; however, with humidity and poor air quality, it could feel as hot as 35 degrees.
According to Ontario’s Forest Fire Info Map, there are currently 185 active forest fires being monitored by the Ministry of Natural Resources across northern Ontario-up from 136 detected on Friday afternoon. While over 300 previously tracked fires have been put out, many ongoing blazes are classified by officials as “out of control.”
Environment Canada advises that “if you must spend time outdoors, limit the time as much as possible. A well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn respirator type mask (such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator) can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke. Even though exposure may be reduced, there can still be risks to health.”
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