‘Very poor’ air quality: Winds push smoke into Brisbane CBD
By Cloe Read
South-westerly winds are pushing thick smoke towards Brisbane’s CBD, as firefighters continue to control a hazard reduction field west of the city.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Service advised on Wednesday morning that smoke was continuing to affect Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands, Logan and the Gold Coast, as they managed the burn at Upper Brookfield.
A smoke haze blanketting Brisbane’s CBD this week.Credit: Twitter - @minimadclaire
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast the smoke was expected to linger across the city, with south-westerly winds pushing the smoke into the inner suburbs.
“Then, northerly winds from later today may spread the smoke over the more southern suburbs, just depending on that fire activity,” meteorologist Brooke Pagel said.
“The warning is still there – we’re expecting today to be the main day that it’s going to be quite smoky just with that wind change.”
Pagel said the forecast was unclear on whether the smoke would continue into the weekend.
“We’re keeping an eye on the air quality as well, but it’s hard to tell how smoky it will be – it will basically all depend on today,” she said.
Parts of Brisbane on Wednesday morning reported “very poor” levels of air quality, with some residents questioning why there was no advanced warning for people with respiratory problems.
QFES has advised the public to close windows and doors because the smoke could be harmful, and has urged people to keep respiratory medication close by.