On Thursday morning, Environment Canada released a special air quality statement for London.
It said that as wildfire smoke is expected over the area today, it will cause poor air quality and reduced visibility, and as smoke levels increase, health risks increase.
Londoners affected may experience common symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, or a mild cough. More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains, or a severe cough. The people who are more likely to be impacted are people aged 65 and older, pregnant people, infants and young children, people with an existing illness or chronic health condition, and people who work outdoors.
They recommend limiting time outdoors and reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities, and events. They added that you should seek immediate medical assistance for a medical emergency.
“Currently, what we’re seeing is some smoke that’s being pushed into Southern Ontario. We are expecting improvement through the rest of the weekend. It is a situation that the general public will have to monitor on a regular basis, particularly those who have pre-existing health conditions, who are more susceptible, and who could be more affected.“ Meteorologist of Environment Canada, Steven Flesfeder.
Today’s temperature will be between 20 and 10 degrees, and it will be rainy and cloudy. However, the rest of the weekend will be a mix of sun and cloud with a high temperature of 24 and a low of 14 degrees.