Air quality in the east of the province is set to deteriorate overnight Thursday into Friday due to fires still raging across Quebec and particularly in Gaspésie, where a hazy orange sky was observed Thursday afternoon.
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“The latest sightings [pour la qualité de l’air] are good, particularly for the Gaspé Peninsula, but things have deteriorated on the north coast in the last few hours and we can expect air quality deterioration throughout eastern Quebec,” added Jean-Philippe Bégin, meteorologist at Environment Canada .
Mr Bégin explained that the sky was cloudy at high altitude due to the fine particles coming from the smoke from the fires and being carried by the westerly winds. These particles give the sky its orange color but do not yet affect air quality.
During the night from Thursday to Friday, the particles should reach the surface and thus affect air quality in eastern Quebec, he added.
An air quality bulletin was already posted on Environment Canada’s website around 5 p.m. Thursday.
The sectors affected by the bulletin are listed here
• Amqui – Matapedia Valley
• Anticosti
• James Bay and La Grande River
• Baie Comeau
• Blanc Sablon
• Chevery
• Chibougamau
• Fermont
• Kangiqsualujjuaq
• Les Escoumins – Forestville
• LG Four – Laforge and Fontanges
• Matagami
• Matane
• Mingania
• Natashquan
• New Carlisle–Chandler
• Forillon – Gaspé – Percé National Park
• Gaspésie National Park – Murdochville
• Parent Area – Gouin Reservoir
• Laurentides Game Reserve
• La Vérendrye wildlife reserve
• Restigouche-Bonaventure
• Rimouski – Mont-Joli
• Manicouagan River
• Sainte-Anne-des-Monts – Grande Vallée
• Schefferville
• Sept-Îles – Port Cartier
• Waskagan
The sectors affected by a smog warning are listed here
• Abitibi
• The tuque
• Lac Saint Jean
• Saguenay
• Temiscamingue