Windsor's air quality impacted by wildfires across the country
Smoke from wildfires burning across Canada is beginning to cause poor air quality in Windsor.
“The southwestern Ontario region is being impacted by the smoke currently. A large portion of it is in the upper air,” explained Monica Vaswani, warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada.
“Because of the wind direction and the current forecast that's expected for much of southern Ontario over the next week, more likely than not, we're expecting to see persistent conditions that will allow for deteriorating air quality.”
Vaswani says the smoke will become an issue when it starts to make its way down to the surface, such as the hazy conditions currently in Quebec and parts of Ontario.
Typically the cause of special air quality statements in Windsor is ozone.
“That usually happens in the summer when we have an area of high pressure that basically allows for stagnant air,” Vaswani explains.
In the case of ozone, conditions improve at night with traffic winding down on the roads. However, when poor air is caused by smoke from forest fires, there will be no reprieve at night from the pollution.
“With forest fires, we should have that pollutant readily available during the day and the night, so you don't get the same sort of reprieve. That would be one thing to consider with respect to the different health impacts,” said Vaswani.
Windsor’s air quality index is around five on Tuesday, which is a moderate health risk.
“For those vulnerable populations, even a moderate risk could sometimes be detrimental to your health,” said Vaswani.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.