Air quality, heat warnings persist in Sault Ste. Marie, Manitoulin Island, Sudbury, North Bay and beyond

Heat and air quality warnings persist in northeastern Ontario this week as humidex values exceed 40 degrees and smoke sweeps into the region from wildfires in the northwest.

Air quality, heat warnings persist in Sault Ste. Marie, Manitoulin Island, Sudbury, North Bay and beyond City of Sault Ste. Marie advises public to limit or postpone outdoor activities, closes outdoor city-run spots Heat and air quality warnings persist in northeastern Ontario this week as a heatwave continues and smoke sweeps into the region from northwestern Ontario wildfires.

Environment Canada issued yellow warnings about heat for large swaths of the northeast Monday and Tuesday. As of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, the yellow heat warning still covered Greater Sudbury, North Bay and Manitoulin Island, but no longer included Timmins to the north, Parry Sound to the south, or Sault Ste. Marie to the west.

Environment Canada has two air quality warnings due to drifting wildfire smoke from the northwest as of 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday: one yellow and one orange. The orange warning includes Manitoulin Island, Blind River, Sault Ste. Marie and Wawa before stretching into northwestern Ontario along Lake Superior.

The yellow warning follows the curve of the lake as well, but covers communities further away from the shore, including Parry Sound, Elliot Lake, and Chapleau. Accommodations filling up as wildfires spur more evacuations in northwestern Ontario Kitchens across Ontario close, reduce orders amid heat wave Air Quality Ontario reported Wednesday morning that air quality in Sault Ste. Marie is a "very high risk" to health today — noted as 10+ and the highest level of risk noted by the service — and that rating is expected to continue into tomorrow.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie posted online that it has closed: - City-operated outdoor pools and splash pads - The Downtown Plaza - Outdoor sporting events at city-operated facilities, including at Elliott Sports Complex and Strathclair Park The city advised residents to "limit or postpone outdoor activities, especially strenuous exercise, until air quality improves," adding that children, older adults and people with heart or lung conditions are at greater risk.

The Sault Area Hospital also issued a release, saying it "has declared a Code Grey ... due to the environmental conditions in the community." "We are adjusting air handlers throughout the building to improve indoor air quality. Services, including surgeries and procedures and outpatient care, continue to operate at this time.

We are also asking visitors to limit visits to help maintain stable indoor air quality. " The public can check the province's forest fire info map for more details about active wildfires, and look at the dynamic map of wildfire smoke particulate matter from Environment Canada. More to come.