According to Environment Canada, air quality in southern Ontario and Quebec is showing improvement, while smoky skies continue to linger in other parts of the country. The wildfires raging across Canada are responsible for the poor air quality. However, the federal agency official reported that scattered showers and thunderstorms may alleviate the situation in the two provinces over the weekend. Unfortunately, with the wildfire season continuing, the improvement may only be temporary. Toronto has experienced a significant improvement in air quality as the smoke clears. On the other hand, Fort Chipewyan remains on an evacuation order, while Wood Buffalo and Grande Prairie receive high-risk air quality forecasts. The atmosphere is moderately poor in Edmonton and Calgary, with air quality expected to improve in British Columbia, except for Fort St. John. Although the number of fires in the country decreased slightly on Thursday, smoke warnings are expected to remain in place over the weekend. Environment Canada warns that individuals with pre-existing health conditions, such as heart or lung diseases, the elderly, pregnant women, children, and outdoor workers, are at higher risk of experiencing health implications from smoke exposure. Nonetheless, wildfire smoke is harmful to everyone’s health, even at low concentrations. Moreover, multiple health studies have linked wildfire smoke exposure to severe health issues like heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory problems. As of now, more than 43,000 sq km have been burned in Canada this year, making 2023 the second-worst year for fires on record. The ongoing events led to two climate-related debates in the House of Commons, with different political parties holding differing opinions. The wildfires are a result of climate change, and efforts must be taken to mitigate the damage they cause.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
