Year in review: Ontario's summer marred by wildfires and unhealthy smoke
The wildfire season of 2023 was the worst on record in Canada. As thousands of fires burned across millions of hectares across the country, smoke travelled across the Canadian skies.
Special air quality statements blanketed the province of Ontario for multi-day smoke events. This year, there were 5 special air quality statements issued for Toronto and 2 for Ottawa. During the summer of 2023, both major cities topped the charts for the worst air quality in the world.
RELATED: Air quality in this Canadian city ranks as one of the worst in the world
During an intense period of smoke, The Weather Network’s video journalist, Victoria Fenn Alvarado, and Storm Hunter, Mark Robinson, set out to report on the event. The two recount their experience of hazy skies and the smell of ashes.
During their conversation (see the video above), Robinson explains how the wildfire smoke impacted his personal storm-chasing experience. 2023 was a year of challenges for the storm chaser. He says, “Quality versus quantity. We had a lot of tornadoes and thunderstorms, but they were all very messy and hard to see."
Hazy skies seen as The Weather Network meteorologist Mark Robinson reported live from Canada's capital in June 2023.
After speaking with Executive Director Dave Sills of Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project, the findings are that blowing smoke “could cut down on the amount of heat from the sun getting down to the ground and being able to generate thunderstorms.” This could be part of the reason for Robinson's challenges.
As 2023 comes to an end, the memories remain of the worst wildfire year on record in Canadian history.
WATCH | Scenes from downtown Ottawa overwhelmed with smoke
(Header image: Wawa 3 wildfire. Taken Thurs., Jun 1, 2023 via Ontario Forest Fires/@ONforestfires)
