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Heat warnings, air quality advisories lifted across Lower Mainland

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A pair of air quality advisories for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley Regional District have been lifted as skies over the region clear and weather cools down.

Metro Vancouver implemented the advisories on Aug. 12, warning that smoke from wildfires burning in B.C. and Washington state had triggered an increase in fine particulate matter in the regions' air, while extreme heat had increased the presence of ground-level ozone.

The regional body continued the advisories on Friday and Saturday afternoons, but lifted them Sunday.

"Air quality has improved due to a change in the weather," Metro Vancouver said in a statement.

The Extreme Heat Alert put in place for the Lower Mainland due to high temperatures observed and Vancouver and Abbotsford international airports was lifted Saturday, but a heat warning from Environment Canada remained in place.

An Extreme Heat Alert is a special designation that's only implemented in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Based on temperature measurements and forecasts at the two international airports, the alert triggers an extra layer of response from local health officials.

The elevated alert level was implemented in late June when B.C. faced record-breaking temperatures brought by a heat dome over Western Canada, but officials faced criticism for failing to communicate the severity of the situation. 

The BC Coroners Service has said 570 people died from the heat during the heat dome.

As of Sunday afternoon, Environment Canada's heat warning had also been lifted. There were no active weather statements for either Metro Vancouver or the Fraser Valley on the Environment Canada website as of 1 p.m. Sunday. 

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