Brace for severe air quality issues Thursday, then a slow improvement on Friday

Visit The Weather Network’s wildfire hub to keep up with the latest on the active start to wildfire season across Canada.

With surface smoke travelling south this week, poor air quality has become a significant concern for major cities like Ottawa and Montreal, with even residents in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) feeling the impacts. Some of these regions have recorded some of their worst air quality in recent times.

As of Thursday morning, there are around 140 active wildfires burning in Quebec and scores of fires burning in northern Ontario, as well. By this time last year, 202 fires had burned throughout Quebec. This year so far, the province has seen over 440 wildfires, with 460,000 hectares of land burned — already surpassing the 1991 total of about 350,000 hectares, according to Forestry Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina.

PHOTOS: Canadian wildfires cause hazy skies, poor air quality in Canada, US

Widespread special air quality statements are still in effect for both provinces, but with the worst of the air quality expected to impact parts of the GTA on Thursday. People are being urged to keep their doors and windows closed and to reduce time spent outdoors.

“Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations. Continue to take actions to protect your health and reduce exposure to smoke,” says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the statement. “People with lung disease (such as asthma) or heart disease, older adults, children, pregnant people, and people who work outdoors are at higher risk of experiencing health effects caused by wildfire smoke.”

WATCH: What parents should know about wildfire smoke and their kids

DON’T MISS: What’s in wildfire smoke? Toxicologist explains health risks, best masks to use

Severe air quality issues expected Thursday

Thursday morning is projected to be the worst timeframe for air quality in the GTA, a situation that most in southern Ontario haven’t experienced before.

“We are anticipating some of the most dreadful air quality ever recorded in Toronto and nearby regions,” warned Tyler Hamilton, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, adding that the the dangerous smoke plume could result in light ashfall accumulation, as well.

Although we are forecasting to see worse air quality in the GTA Thursday, there has been some cloud cover over the Quebec wildfires, so it’s harder to see how much smoke will actually push its way into southern Ontario. The wind direction is very favorable to bring the smoke in, but cloud cover is a big wildcard.

Still, N95 masks will be a helpful tool to protect yourself from inhaling smoke during this time.

Those in northeastern Ontario are not exempt from the smoky impacts, either, as fires burning north of Georgian Bay are billowing smoke towards communities along Lake Huron.

Many may end up seeing outdoor recreational activities to be limited or outright cancelled this week due to the poor air quality.

Winds are expected to shift, pushing the dense smoke into the GTA and the rest of southern Ontario, as well as into the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron areas.

This may end up being the most extreme concentration of wildfire smoke these areas will see so far from these fires.

This could, however, be what provides some welcome relief to residents in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec Thursday.

Air quality improvements likely as we head into the weekend

To end the week, air quality from the smoke should improve in waves across much of southern Ontario and the GTA.

“It just takes a change in the winds,” says Chris Scott, Chief Meteorologist at The Weather Network. “It looks like Saturday will be the turning day, where the winds start to shift more out of the west and southwest. That also will bring us some more moisture, and the chance of some much needed rain.”

For best practices to keep yourself safe from wildfire smoke, click here.

Wildfires at this time of year certainly aren’t unheard of in northern Ontario and northern Quebec, but the difference this time has been the flow of the air into southern Ontario.

“The flow is unique because it’s actually backing the air up and bringing it farther west than it usually is, and that’s why we’ve got this terrible air quality and the smell of smoke,” Scott says.

Unfortunately, this may be something we see again this summer in southern Ontario, depending on that wind direction.

WATCH: What will it take to clear the smoke out of southern Ontario?

Thumbnail image courtesy of @BranWx/Twitter.

For more forecast information and updates for Ontario and Quebec, keep checking back to The Weather Network.