Photo: Jon Manchester

The North Okanagan is experiencing the worst air quality of the year, with visibility reduced to several hundred metres.

It doesn't really take an official advisory to know air quality in the Okanagan is bad.

All one has to do is look out the window to see a blanket of thick smoke is covering the Valley.

The North Okanagan is experiencing the worst air quality of the year, with visibility reduced to several hundred metres.

Environment Canada said smoky skies will continue across most of the province for the next few days. Local smoke levels may vary based on wind direction and fire characteristics, but until a significant change in the provincial weather pattern occurs, widespread air quality improvements are not expected.

SilverStar meteorologist Wesla Wong said without any significant weather systems “things just kind of settle. Right now we have a weak upper ridge over the region so we don't have that cooler air aloft that really encourages vertical movement.”

Wong said because there is warmer air aloft, the smoke settles to the bottom of the Valley.

“It's very similar to what we see in the wintertime when we get trapped under an inversion with warmer air aloft all the clouds and the fog gets trapped at the bottom of the Valley,” she said.

Conditions will remain the same until there is a change in the weather system.

People are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activities. If anyone is experiencing any of the following symptoms, contact your health care provider: difficulty in breathing, chest pain or discomfort, and sudden onset of cough or irritation of airways.

Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, and lung or heart disease.

Members of the public who are sensitive to the effects of smoke are asked to monitor their symptoms and, if necessary, take steps to reduce their exposure to smoke.