Smoky skies blanket much of Vancouver Island this morning, obscuring our favourite views.

From space, you can see how widespread the wildfire smoke is.

As a result, air quality is compromised for another day on the island. While it’s not as bad as on the mainland, there’s a low to moderate health risk for Vancouver Island.

You can find your Air Quality Health Index reading here. The Smoky Skies Bulletin has tips on how to monitor your symptoms and how to reduce exposure. In general, you’re encouraged to use your common sense:

  • If you don’t feel well or have trouble breathing, take it easy and slow or stop your activity
  • Drink lots of liquids and stay cool
  • Make sure you have your medications with you at all times
  • Remind children to follow the same rules

As far as the weather goes, high pressure remains the dominant feature for the next several. If it wasn’t for the haze, skies would be brilliantly blue and sunny!

Instead we see a hazy hue lingering in this stabilizing air mass with no rain for at least the next week. Not ideal for air quality.

If the ocean breeze picks up Wednesday, the smoky haze may start to diminish. Projections for the next 51 hours suggest the air will clear a bit mid-week.

Get used to this. The weather pattern remains the same for the near future: sunny skies with temperatures in the mid-20s is here to stay through next weekend.