Kelowna's air quality is once again much worse than Hong Kong's

A smoky haze is once again blanketing the Okanagan due to the Philpott Road fire in the Joe Rich area.

KelownaNow reported on August 9th that according to the World Air Quality Index, Kelowna’s air quality was actually much worse than the infamously polluted skies of Hong Kong.

Granted the smoke from forest fires impacting Kelowna's air versus the toxic chemicals polluting Hong Kong's air is very different.

However, Kelowna’s air quality today is once again much worse than Hong Kong, as well as Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Beijing.

According to the World Air Quality Index Project, which displays real-time air quality data from 70+ countries around the globe, Kelowna's air quality today is so dismal that residents of famously polluted cities like Hong Kong and Los Angeles are breathing better air than Okanagan locals.

The current Air Quality Index, which ranges from 0 to 300+, ranks Kelowna's haze squarely as “Very Unhealthy” right now.

The data is backed up by Environment Canada's Air Quality Health Index for the Central Okanagan.

According to Dr. Chris Carlsten, director of the Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory at the University of British Columbia, the air quality is terrible, but not to be worried about.

"The levels that Kelowna is experiencing right now are legitimately bad, right up there with Hong Kong, Beijing, and Los Angeles, but the key thing is that it's short term," explained Dr. Carlsten.

"Although this situation is lasting much longer than usual, it's still very short term in comparison to places in Asia because they have had air quality issues for well over a decade that are not going away."

For now, Dr. Carlsten suggests avoiding strenuous outdoor activity and staying indoors as much as possible for those with respiratory problems.