Air quality warnings that had been in effect for Metro Vancouver since Monday have now been lifted. The Metro Vancouver Regional District made the announcement Friday afternoon, explaining that winds from the coast improved, blowing smoke out of the region and to the east. Yellow warnings were in effect for all of Metro Vancouver, as well as Abbotsford and Mission, while orange warnings were issued in Chilliwack, Agassiz and Hope. Air quality ratings for the area have all been reduced to “low risk,” with no subsection of Metro Vancouver or the Fraser Valley rating higher than a 3, which allows even those at risk to “enjoy your usual outdoor activities,” according to Environment Canada. With yellow and orange warnings in place, rated between four and six on the AQHI Index, those with lung and heart concerns, as well as seniors and children, were encouraged to “consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous activities” if they experience symptoms of breathing in polluted air. Blowing east While eastward coastal winds are proving helpful to those in and around Metro Vancouver, they may add to problems faced by those in B.C.’s Okanagan and Interior regions—where people are seeing the AQHI Index reach as high as 10+, the highest ranking on the scale and a “very high risk” to anyone engaging in any strenuous activities outdoors. The province said orange air quality warnings are expected to remain in place in these regions through much of the weekend, explaining that “smoke continues to pool under the high pressure system parked over B.C.” “Brief and sporadic pockets of clearing may occur in some regions today, but widespread clearing is not expected.”
