Vancouver air quality is one of the worst in the world this weekend

Smoke over Metro Vancouver skies has dramatically increased overnight due to the McDougall Creek wildfire burning in Kelowna. This is causing Vancouver to be one of the top polluted major cities in the world. 

According to IQ Air’s World Major City Air Quality list, Vancouver is ranked in 11th place as of 2 pm Sunday. Its ranking is higher than Chongqing, China and Kuching, Malaysia. Earlier in the day Vancouver was among the top 10. 

IQ Air bases its rankings on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) air quality index (AQI) in order to “translate pollutant concentrations to a relatable scale for risk to health.”

This scale ranges from 0 to 500, where 0 is considered good air quality, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and 301 to 500 is hazardous to health.

According to IQ Air, Vancouver’s air quality is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.

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IQ Air forecast the air to worsen Monday to be an unhealthy level before it improves from Tuesday to Thursday. 

There is a chance on Friday the air could rise to unhealthy levels again as the temperatures increase. 

During a press conference Sunday, officials said conditions in the Central Okanagan region are improving however, there’s still “a long fight ahead.”

 BC Wildfire Service Jerrad Schroeder further explained windy conditions are expected to blow over the region but cooler temperatures will help mitigate the effects of the wind.

“Moderated temperatures coupled with high winds will still have impacts … but again, luckily, with the more moderate temperatures and that kind of mid-20 range, and we are seeing these higher humidities that do have a positive impact as well.”

In Vancouver, the region is also seeing temperatures to rage around 20°C to 23°C, according to the Environment and Climate Change Canada forecast.

It will remain sunny for most of the week.

ECCC

BC is currently facing the worst wildfire season in the province’s history, according to Premier David Eby — so unsurprisingly all top ten Canadian cities with the worst air quality is in BC. Sicamous, Summerland and West Kelowna at the top of the list.

An air quality advisory has been issued for Metro Vancouver, Central Fraser Valley, and Eastern Fraser Valley.

The advisory asks people to postpone or reduce their outdoor physical activity while there are high concentrations of fine particulate matter in the region. The advisory will remain in effect until further notice.