Toronto air quality five times worse as wildfire smoke blankets city

Toronto's air quality has deteriorated sharply as wildfire smoke continues to blanket the city, with pollution levels around five times higher than the previous day, according to Environment Canada.

Speaking to CTV News, warning preparedness meteorologist Peter Kimbell said fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, reached 296 micrograms per cubic metre in west Toronto at 8:00 AM on Thursday.

“That is definitely worse than it was yesterday, because yesterday, in the afternoon, it was 62 micrograms per metre cubed. So yeah, way worse, much worse today,” Kimbell told CTV News.

Environment Canada's Air Quality Health Index has been set at Level 10, indicating a very high health risk.

An orange air quality warning remains in effect, with residents advised to limit time outdoors where possible.

According to IQAir, Toronto ranked among the world's most polluted cities for the second consecutive day.

Kimbell said conditions are expected to improve slightly later in the day, with more noticeable improvements overnight.

However, he warned the relief may not last. “We might get a return of some poor air quality tomorrow night and into Saturday morning before we get showers,” Kimbell told CTV News.

“Showers should improve things on Saturday, but we might have some kind of poor air quality before that happens.”