Air quality improves but health risk still high

Smoky skies have cleared slightly in parts of British Columbia but Environment Canada is maintaining air quality statements for the entire southern third of the province.

The health quality index for the North and Central Okanagan is 7 or high health risk today (9 a.m.), an improvement from the 10+ very high risk the last couple days.

For the first time in days, the weather office lifted smoky skies bulletins for all areas north of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Thompson regions.

But it says wildfire smoke carried north from blazes in Washington state, Oregon and California is expected to continue blanketing southern B.C. at least until later this week.