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For the second time in a week, Calgary’s air-quality health index has been deemed a very high risk, as smoke continues to blanket the city.

The overwhelming smoke on Wednesday is being blown in from the wildfires in B.C. and, with the hot and dry forecast, it’s here to stay until the end of the week.

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“Rain often washes particulate matter from the air, so it reduces the smoke quite a bit. So if we get a good rainfall, that could clear out the air. But without that rain, the smoke is allowed to linger,” said John Paul Cragg, Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist.

Environment Canada is ranking the air-quality health index at 10+, which is considered a high risk that contributes to health concerns.

Photo by Courtesy Justin Landmark

According to Cragg, the province might get a break from the smoke when northerly winds on Sunday could clear some of the smoke.

“Air quality doesn’t look like it will be consistently poor in one location. As the wind blows the smoke from B.C., little changes in the direction of the wind mean that the heavier smoke will move into different locations in Alberta.”