Latest news with #DavidPhillips
United News of India
9 hours ago
- Climate
- United News of India
Wildfire smoke causes poor air quality in major Canadian cities
Ottawa, June 7 (UNI) Smoke from wildfires burning in northern Ontario and the Prairies of Canada caused poor air quality and reduced visibility in major cities including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Environment Canada issued special air quality statements for these areas on Friday, warning that people most likely to suffer health effects from air pollution should avoid strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms. Environment Canada's David Phillips said on CTV News that as wildfires ramp up across the country, air quality is deteriorating. "What we've seen this week, of course, in Ontario is a lot of that smoke from fires has come south," Phillips said. "Only a few see the flames but millions smell the smoke," he said. According to data from Swiss air quality tracker IQAir, Toronto's air quality was ranked the second worst in the world Friday afternoon. UNI XINHUA ARN
Canada Standard
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Canada Standard
Wildfire smoke causes poor air quality in major Canadian cities
Xinhua 07 Jun 2025, 01:45 GMT+10 OTTAWA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Smoke from wildfires burning in northern Ontario and the Prairies of Canada caused poor air quality and reduced visibility in major cities including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal on Friday. Environment Canada issued special air quality statements for these areas on Friday, warning that people most likely to suffer health effects from air pollution should avoid strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms. Environment Canada's David Phillips said on CTV News that as wildfires ramp up across the country, air quality is deteriorating. "What we've seen this week, of course, in Ontario is a lot of that smoke from fires has come south," Phillips said. "Only a few see the flames but millions smell the smoke," he said. According to data from Swiss air quality tracker IQAir, Toronto's air quality was ranked the second worst in the world Friday afternoon.
The Star
16 hours ago
- Climate
- The Star
Wildfire smoke causes poor air quality in major Canadian cities
OTTAWA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Smoke from wildfires burning in northern Ontario and the Prairies of Canada caused poor air quality and reduced visibility in major cities including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal on Friday. Environment Canada issued special air quality statements for these areas on Friday, warning that people most likely to suffer health effects from air pollution should avoid strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms. Environment Canada's David Phillips said on CTV News that as wildfires ramp up across the country, air quality is deteriorating. "What we've seen this week, of course, in Ontario is a lot of that smoke from fires has come south," Phillips said. "Only a few see the flames but millions smell the smoke," he said. According to data from Swiss air quality tracker IQAir, Toronto's air quality was ranked the second worst in the world Friday afternoon.
CTV News
20 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Toronto's air quality currently among worst in world due to wildfire smoke
Environment Canada warns wildfire smoke from northern Ontario and out west is reducing visibility and worsening air quality in Toronto. Toronto's air quality is ranked among the worst in the world today as smoke from wildfires drifts into the region. The wildfire smoke has prompted Environment Canada to issue a special air quality statement for the GTA, much of southern Ontario, as well as five other provinces and one territory. Environment Canada's David Phillips said as wildfires ramp up across the country, air quality is deteriorating. He noted that since the beginning of the month, there are 15 new out-of-control wildfires burning in northern Ontario and Western Canada. 'What we've seen this week, of course, in Ontario is a lot of that smoke from fires has come south,' he said. On Friday, Toronto's air quality index is expected to hit a maximum of 7 out of 10, which is classified as 'high risk,' Environment Canada said. As of 11 a.m. on Friday, Toronto's air quality was ranked fourth worst in the world, according to data from Swiss air quality tracker IQAir. The only other Canadian city with worse air quality than Toronto on Friday was Montreal, which was ranked third worst among all cities globally. 'Only a few see the flames but millions smell the smoke,' Phillips said. In areas where the air quality statement is in effect, Environment Canada urged residents to limit their time spent outdoors. In Toronto, the national weather agency warned that smoke levels are expected to rise in the area this morning and into this afternoon before easing this evening. 'As smoke levels increase, health risks increase,' the advisory reads, adding that people should consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities, and events. It notes that smoke may cause mild irritation to your eyes, nose, and throat, and may lead to headaches or a mild cough. 'More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough,' the advisory continued. Those with pre-existing respiratory conditions, pregnant and elderly individuals, as well as young children, are more likely to be impacted by outdoor air pollution. Phillips said while the air quality index is expected to 'bounce around' in Toronto this weekend, 'smelly air' will be sticking around until early next week. 'It took so long for the summer-like weather to come and when it came, not with blue skies… but some cruddy-smelling air that actually almost (makes you wish) spring-like weather was back,' he said.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Eastern Canadians are asking: What's with this crappy weather?
It was drizzly and misty, with low clouds obscuring the tops of tall buildings on Thursday evening in Toronto as people headed home from work on Adelaide Street West. People were walking the sidewalks, umbrellas in hand, often bumping into other umbrella-holders. It was only 10 C out, and people were dressed in an assortment of spring jackets or heavier coats. This isn't the type of weather most Torontonians probably expect for May 22. The average temperature for this time of year is 21 C. On the same day last year, it was nearly 30 C. It was the third day in a row with overcast conditions, rain and chilly weather. And there doesn't seem to be any stretch of good weather in sight. And it's not just affecting those in Ontario's capital. "Southern central Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Quebec and into the Maritimes, they're wondering, when is summer going to arrive," said David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). "I mean, my gosh, this week it's been warmer in the Northwest Territories than it has in Toronto." So what's happening? Where is the fine spring weather we've come to expect at this time of year? "It's what we call a cold low; it's a low pressure area that spins around," said Phillips. "It's south of the Great Lakes, around Lake Erie to the south, and it's dominating the kind of cloudy, coolish, kind of rainy kind of weather … so it's driving the cold air down from the north, and the low is taking it in and spinning it around in the south." That low pressure is proving difficult to shake. But it's not that the region didn't experience nice weather at all this month. "We were teased by that great wake of the week before. I mean, last Friday, it got up to almost 30 degrees in Toronto," Phillips said. "We thought, oh my gosh, the long weekend is coming up. Let's get going, pack the car and head out. And then it just turned miserable." The same weather plagued Montreal, which went from near 30 C on May 16 to clouds and rain on May 19. And Halifax and Fredericton experience similar shifts. "We feel cheated and and short-changed and wonder if, in fact, this is the pattern for the summer," Phillips said. Maybe one of the reasons for feeling short-changed is because spring temperatures in Canada have risen by 1.9 C over the past 77 years. "We know that the springs are more summer-like, and the falls are more summer-like. The summer season has grown. It's not only is it intense in the summer, but it seems to be longer," Phillips said. "And that's clearly the fallout from from climate change." While Canadians may wonder what summer has in store for them, ECCC is calling for a warmer-than-average summer across the country. Cascading effects On Friday, it was still overcast and drizzly in Toronto. But that didn't stop Marcella Downy from visiting Down 2 Earth Garden Centre in Etobicoke. "We need to get going with the garden, and and we're just gonna wait for that little break to plant," she said. "But we're trying to pick up a few things and and get ready." Paul Zammit, a professor at Niagara College's environment division, said that there are cascading effects to this weather when it comes to the business side of it. "The general sense that I'm getting from retailers is people are being a bit cautious. We're not sure if that's just the economy. This weather certainly isn't helping it," he said. "So [people] not going out and buying. Shelves are very full, and retailers are then not reordering, so the wholesalers are not moving their stuff. So it's, you know, this trickle effect." That's not news to C.J. Torriano, owner of Down 2 Earth, who said that, while business has been slow, he's doing his best to be patient. "We've been doing our best here to protect all our product and be ready for for when the sun does come out," he said. "I mean, we can't fight with mother nature. So we do the best we can to keep our stuff looking good. And then hopefully in the next few days we get some nice weather and we get back on pace." As for Phillips, he says he believes what we're seeing is just a blip and that warmer weather will soon be upon us. "I think my my fearless forecast is that, you know, probably in two weeks time from now, Torontonians and Montrealers will be complaining about the heat and humidity," Phillips said. "We always like to complain about the weather."
