Shift in weather could push wildfire smoke from Lower Mainland back into B.C. Interior
The smoke that has blanketed most of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley since Sunday morning could soon be gone.
An air quality advisory remains in place for the region, but Environment Canada meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau said the smoke could be pushed out as early as Tuesday.
“Today, particularly by the water, it’s not too bad,” Charbonneau told CTV News Monday.
“In the Lower Mainland, we are expecting a shift in the weather pattern tomorrow could start to clear this out."
While the haze has diminished air quality in the region, Charbonneau said it’s still far from the conditions in B.C.’s fire zones.
“It’s nowhere near what they’re seeing in the Interior," she said.
With around 240 wildfires currently burning across the province, the smoke is presenting more challenges for suppression crews. The shift in the weather, which will push the smoke back towards the Interior, is expected to make an already difficult situation even worse.
"Unfortunately this grounds our aircraft in many areas,” said Jean Strong of the B.C. Wildfire Service.
“This is harmful for not only suppression activities but also getting in the air."
Some cooler temperatures and rain are in the forecast, however there’s also the potential for some more extreme weather.
“We do have risk of thunderstorms across much of B.C.,” Charbonneau said.
As of Monday evening, more than 25,000 properties are either under an evacuation order or alert.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.