TAMPA, Fla. — Hazy skies continue to drape over much of the Tampa Bay area Wednesday, prompting at least a couple of our local counties to extend their air pollution advisories through the rest of the day.
The reason for these conditions? Smoke from wildfires burning all the way up north in Canada. High pressure in the eastern United States is bringing northwesterly winds that are pulling down smoke from fires burning in Ontario and Quebec.
Air quality conditions vary from "good" to "moderate" in the immediate Tampa Bay area, according to an interactive map from AirNow.gov. The New York Times and USA Today also provide interactive maps where you can track the smoke and air quality.
For Wednesday, the smoke forecast for the Tampa Bay area shows hazy conditions lingering throughout the day, but the air quality will gradually improve.
Both Sarasota and Pinellas counties have air pollution advisories through the end of the day Wednesday.
Further south, the National Weather Service in Miami indicates while hazy conditions will continue in the morning, gradual improvements are expected as the day progresses.
By Thursday, most smoke conditions are expected to dissipate here in the Tampa Bay area, but they may continue to linger further north in the Sunshine State.
Air quality conditions, while better than Tuesday and gradually getting better, could still pose issues for people with sensitivities.
"People with lung disease such as asthma, older adults, children and teenagers, and people who are active outdoors, should consider reducing prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion until air quality conditions are better," leaders from Pinellas County said Tuesday.
Doctors say, however, it’s not nearly as bad as what they saw up north earlier this year. Still, people with sensitivity to smoke might see symptoms ranging anywhere from itchy eyes and congestion to difficulty breathing.
“It's a very small molecule and it actually is able to enter through our eyes, our nasal mucus, and our lungs,” said Dr. Mona Mangat, a specialist with Bay Area Allergy and Asthma. “Everybody is going to be affected differently. But patients that have underlying respiratory diseases or cardiac disease are going to be affected more than other people.”
For those with underlying conditions or respiratory disease, experts recommend staying indoors if you can until the smoke clears.
If you do have to venture outside, Mangat says wearing an N-95 or KN-95 mask would likely help.
Canada has seen a significant number of wildfires this year and is trending higher than average, according to The New York Times. As of the country's latest update, 6,496 fires have been reported year to date compared to the 10-year average of 5,380 fires year to date — a 121 percent increase.
10 Tampa Bay's Andrew Krietz and Eric Glasser contributed to this report.