Forecast of rain this weekend in Metro Vancouver will clear wildfire smoke

Forecast of rain in Metro Vancouver this weekend will clear wildfire smoke

A thick haze from the wildfires hovering over Vancouver. (Amanda Catching / Flickr)

After about two weeks of poor air quality, to the extent that conditions have been worse than Hong Kong and Beijing at times, Vancouverites are set for a major reprieve from the wildfire smoke that has been hovering over the city.

The weekend forecast from Environment Canada calls for a change in wind direction, which will keep the smoke within the BC Interior where many wildfires continue to burn and help dissipate the smoke lingering in Metro Vancouver.

As well, rainfall Saturday night and throughout Sunday will send the particulates in the air to the ground. Temperatures will also be cooler, with a daytime high of just 20°C by the water in Vancouver on Sunday.

These conditions are expected as the high pressure system responsible for the recent heat will give way to an incoming low pressure system. The heat was from an outflow of warm air from the BC Interior, which also carried significant smoke.

However, the Air Quality Advisory for Metro Vancouver is expected to remain through the weekend, likely until early next week.