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Metro Vancouver had awe-inspiring, fiery sunsets this week. Here's why

Have a look at some breathtaking photos of vibrant sunsets from across the Lower Mainland.
Elana Shepert
Elana Shepert

Metro Vancouverites are sharing photos of jaw-dropping sunsets from across the region this week. 

While it isn't uncommon to see some vibrant orange, red, and pink hues on the horizon, many people noted that this week's sunsets were decidedly vibrant. 

A fire broke out in Coquitlam's Minnekhada Regional Park on Oct. 1 at High Knoll and has continued to burn throughout the week. While the blaze has been deemed "under control," two new fires broke out in the Lower Mainland on Oct. 6: one in Golden Ears Park in Maple Ridge and the other on Burke Mountain in Coquitlam.

The combined effect of particulate matter from wildfires in Washington State has led to ongoing air quality advisories across the Eastern Fraser Valley, Fraser Canyon, as well as the Nicola and Similkameen regions further inland.

An offshore flow of cleaner marine air has improved air quality and hazy conditions in other parts of Metro Vancouver but "smoke concentrations may vary widely across the region as winds and temperatures change," according to Metro Vancouver.  

Environment Canada meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau told Vancouver Is Awesome that the smoke from wildfires has an impact on how sunsets appear.

"Obviously, we've been having varying levels of smoke come across the Vancouver area," she said. "Wildfire smoke basically just puts a lot of fine particles up into the atmosphere and helps scatter light, which is what helps me make the red beautiful sunsets." 

While really thick clouds of smoke from widespread fires will obscure the view of a sunset, concentrations that allow enough of the light to get through create potent orange and red hues. 

Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes unseasonably warm temperatures

Vancouver didn't set a record for September but ranked among its hottest on record. With a mean temperature of 16 C this year, it was well above the 14.9 C average, making it the fourth-warmest September overall. 

Additionally, the city had its seventh driest September on record, with only 7 mm of rainfall in the month; a typical September sees about 50.9 mm.

These warmer, drier conditions have increased the risk of wildfires in the region and there isn't a great deal of precipitation in the upcoming forecast. Monday might provide a small respite from the dry conditions, with some showers included in the forecast, but the unseasonably warm daily highs and dry weather are expected to persist through the rest of the week, said Charbonneau.

Have a look at some of the sunsets residents of the Lower Mainland captured over the past week. 

With files from Stefan Labbé