Large wildfires are currently raging in western Canadian provinces, particularly due to temperatures well above the seasonal norm. As a result, several Environment Canada air quality bulletins have been issued since Friday.
The situation this Sunday is trending for improvement as a low pressure system brought some rain to several spots on the Canadian prairies. However, southern British Columbia continues to be monitored, primarily due to activity from wildfire K70580 at Nohomin Creek (north of Lytton), which covers 2,364 hectares. WE026 – east bank of the Churchill River in Manitoba – is also being monitored and covers 52,760 hectares.
What are the possible effects of these impressive blazes on Quebec? “For that smoke to get to us it would take a more zonal pattern, which we’ll have at the start of the week. However, this will only be short-lived. There will then be a pattern that tends to oscillate, a phenomenon that favors more systems that will be able to sweep the provinces and therefore a less good spread of smoke towards Quebec,” says Catherine Aubry , meteorologist
Other weather factors could also benefit air quality. Earlier in the week, a small system will bring rain and northerly winds that will likely help limit smoke spread. Rain helps bring smoke particles from the air to the ground, reducing the impact on air quality. In the short term, the smoke could be contained over southwest British Columbia.
On the Quebec side, which has been below seasonal norms since the beginning of the summer in terms of fires and acres burned, we are closely monitoring the situation, which remains relatively unconcerned. Dry weather this weekend and Monday favors more areas where the risk of fire is higher, but the risk should decrease later in the week.
