Even though things improved on Friday, Environment Canada warns that “very poor” air quality will come back to all areas in the Greater Toronto Area Friday night and may stick around into Saturday.
An orange-level air quality warning remains active on Friday as smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario continues to spread, according to the federal weather agency’s update on Friday afternoon.
“During heavy smoke conditions, everyone’s health is at risk regardless of their age or health status,” it said.
Meteorologist Rob Kuhn mentioned earlier on Friday that he anticipated the smoke along with an air quality health index around 10 would last for most of Friday and into Saturday.
“This isn’t as good as we’d hoped yesterday,” he noted, adding cleaner air “tried to come in from the northeast briefly” overnight before the smoke returned.
The eastern parts of the GTA, like Oshawa, are getting a break from the smoke right now, but he indicated that there would likely be a decline in air quality as “smoke-laden air” moves eastward tonight. Environment Canada downgraded Oshawa’s air quality warning to yellow at 8:40 a. m., given the changes in smoke levels.
Kuhn also mentioned that rain with possible thunderstorms on Saturday could “help sweep out some of the smoke” temporarily.
There are hopes that a strong cold front will move through the area Saturday night into Sunday to “get rid of a lot of the smoke,” he explained.
However, Kuhn cautioned that we might not be completely done with the smoke this summer since wildfires continue burning across the province.
Due to smoky conditions, Rogers Centre’s roof will be closed for the Toronto Blue Jays game against the Chicago White Sox in Toronto on Friday evening, as announced by the team via social media on Friday.
Ontario officials report there are currently 136 active wildfires in northwest regions as of Wednesday, with 63 being out of control. Additionally, another 44 fires are burning in northeastern Ontario, nine of which are out of control.
The wildfire affecting Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, Armstrong and Whitesand First Nation has grown larger than 350,000 hectares as of Thursday according to Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.
Why the sky turned orange | About ThatAndrew Chang explains how Ontario wildfire smoke is able to change the colour of the air in cities more than a thousand kilometres away and outlines health risks associated with inhaling it. Images provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters, Adobe Stock and Getty Images
The province’s air quality health index was either at levels two or three for low risk across various parts including Oakville, Mississauga, downtown Toronto and Oshawa by noon on Friday.
Toronto dropped significantly down to position 116 during Friday afternoon when ranked among polluted cities worldwide according to IQAir’s global ranking system-a Swiss company specializing in air quality technology.
Pollutant Levels Dropped on Friday Morning
The concentration of fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5 significantly decreased compared to Thursday morning based on provincial data. PM 2.5 consists of airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter-less than a human hair-and can penetrate deep into your lungs. As of noon on Friday, Toronto recorded about four to seven micrograms/cubic metre (μg/m³) of PM 2.5 in its atmosphere; this marks an improvement compared to nearly 300 μg/m³ measured Thursday morning. The pollutant levels also fell in Oakville down to about 10 μg/m³; Mississauga saw five μg/m³ while Oshawa recorded four μg/m³. WATCH | What are the impacts of wildfire smoke:
Why the sky turned orange | About ThatAndrew Chang explains how Ontario wildfire smoke is able to change the colour of the air in cities more than a thousand kilometres away and outlines health risks associated with inhaling it. Images provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters, Adobe Stock and Getty Images
The province’s air quality health index was either at levels two or three for low risk across various parts including Oakville, Mississauga, downtown Toronto and Oshawa by noon on Friday.
Toronto dropped significantly down to position 116 during Friday afternoon when ranked among polluted cities worldwide according to IQAir’s global ranking system-a Swiss company specializing in air quality technology.
Outdoor Pools Remain Closed Due To Warning: City The City Of Toronto announced today that outdoor pools remain shut down due ongoing poor air quality warnings while lifeguards have been cleared off duty at ten supervised beaches around town. Camp TO programs alongside city-run childcare facilities stay open but will operate indoors only; field trips organized under Camp TO have been canceled for today. The city stated they’ll continue moving outdoor workers inside wherever feasible so exposure from hazardous fumes can be minimized. Toronto has six “cleaner air spaces” available located within city hall along with Metro Hall North York Civic Centre Scarborough Civic Centre York Civic Centre East York Civic Centre providing relief options. Environment Canada warned people may experience symptoms such headaches eye throat irritation wheezing or chest pains. “During heavy smoke conditions everyone’s health is at risk regardless their age or condition,” it urged reminding residents they should reschedule cancel any outdoor activities planned
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