And making the air pollution even worse is the extreme heat and humidity. Actually, it's a heat wave; we're already into the second week of it - and could continue for another 6 days.
Gordon told us what to expect:
Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist
"We are in a heatwave. Actually, this heat current heatwave started from as early as the first day or so of May. But like you rightly mentioned, the humidity has been increasing significantly over the past few days."
"And the primary reason for this is that we are under a ridge of high pressure at the mid levels of the atmosphere which is suppressing in a sort of upward motion. So it's keeping all the heat trapped near the surface and therefore you are seeing a lot of hazy, smoky conditions."
"Again, because you cannot have the smoke dissipate, it's not rising anywhere. That also in combination with some mild Saharan dust has been reducing visibility considerable. So when you look at it, probably perhaps you're seeing that you're not able to see as far as you normally do."
"So restricted visibility, poor conditions if you are somebody who has asthma, that type of thing, it could affect you as well. So certainly very difficult times in terms of weather conditions, extreme heat along with the smoke and haze."
"The bad news first is that at least for the next four to six days, we don't see any major changes in the forecast. So the heat will continue. The smokey and hazy conditions are expected to continue. And the rainfall will be fairly limited, if any, because the only thing we are seeing is the possibility of some thunderstorm developing in the extreme west along the border due to the extreme heat."
Jules Vasquez
"How does the heat of 2024 compare to the multiple successive heat waves of 2023?"
Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist
"Well, we haven't really done that analysis as yet as to look at the actual figures. I think we did that last year in June."
"But from my one perspective and looking at it subjectively, it would appear that it has been as hot as last year. And perhaps one of the things that to me it appears that the length or the duration of this particular heat wave has been quite excessive."
"I'm looking at two weeks now without much of a relief. And that also includes taking into consideration the nighttime temperatures, which have not been dipping very much over the past few days. I must agree with persons who have been telling me that it's been excessive and it's unbearable."
