Cool ocean air clearing the South Coast haze today

After days of smoke, the air on the South Coast is beginning to clear up.

Air quality is improving in Metro Vancouver as well as the Fraser Valley as cool, freshocean air blows onshore.

As of 10:30 a.m. PT,Vancouver's air quality health rating has dropped from a "very high" health risk rating of 10 or higher down to a moderate tolow risk.

Communities on the coast will see an improvement in air quality as the breeze continues Thursday afternoon, according to Environment Canada, with a chance of scattered showers over the weekend.

Dense smoke from forestfires in B.C. and the western U.S. haveprompted air quality alerts across the province for days. Soaring levels of tiny particles contained in the smoke can lead to inflammation in the lungs, particuarly for children and the elderly.

Thursday's weather marked the first sign of improvement in Metro Vancouver since Environment Canada's advisories were issued last week.

Interior to clear eventually

The ocean air, however, won't do much for the abysmal air quality in the Okanaganright away.

The air quality in the southern Interior might actually deteriorate before things get better, according to Environment Canada Meteorologist Philippe-AlainBergeron.

A northwesterly wind is expected to blow much of the smoke out of thecentral and northern Interior in the coming days.

Unfortunately for those living in theCaribooregion, that same wind willblow smoke from the fires west of Prince George into their area.

As of 10:30 a.m. PT, air quality ratings arestill at a"very high" health risk of 10 or higher in the following areas:

• Kamloops
• Okanagan
• Prince George
• Quesnel
• Whistler
• Williams Lake

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