TORONTO – After the heat, the smoke: so thick that it has made Toronto’s air quality the worst in the world. It is proving to be an extremely harsh summer for the city, which woke up today covered in an orange “haze” that, at one point, completely blocked out the sun. The cause: smoke from wildfires – more than 100 – that have been raging for several days in northwestern Ontario has moved south, causing Toronto’s air quality to become the worst globally, according to the IQAir ranking (here, updated in real time), a company that monitors air quality worldwide.
At the time of writing, Toronto is firmly at the top of the (negative) global ranking (in the pic above, the screenshot of the ranking at that time, 9.26am), with an air quality index of 182, well ahead of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Delhi (India), both at 153. For all three cities, the index falls into the “Unhealthy” category, meaning air quality is harmful to everyone. The ranking is followed by Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Jerusalem (Israel), with scores of 144 and 135 respectively, placing them in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category — meaning the air is unsafe especially for vulnerable groups such as children, seniors, pregnant people, and individuals with asthma or heart conditions.
As a result, Environment Canada issued two alerts for Toronto today: an orange-level alert for wildfire smoke and a yellow-level heat alert – here the two alerts.
The smoke alert is the more serious of the two. According to Environment Canada’s advisory, indeed, “during heavy smoke conditions, everyone’s health is at risk regardless of their age or health status.”
Residents are advised to: limit the amount of time spent outdoors; postpone or cancel outdoor sports, activities and events; keep windows and doors closed as much as possible; use, if available, an air purifier or high-efficiency air filters.
The most vulnerable groups — including seniors, pregnant people, young children, individuals with chronic illnesses, and outdoor workers — should avoid strenuous outdoor activities and seek medical advice if symptoms occur.
Possible symptoms caused by wildfire smoke include eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, and mild coughing. More serious symptoms may include wheezing, chest pain, and severe coughing.
If going outdoors is unavoidable, residents are advised to reduce exposure as much as possible and wear a properly fitted N95 respirator mask (or equivalent), which can reduce inhalation of fine particles, although it does not completely eliminate health risks.
The simultaneous heat alert, with temperatures expected to reach 33°C and high humidity levels, is further worsening conditions. Environment Canada warns that hot and humid air can also bring deteriorating air quality and can result in the Air Quality Index approaching the high-risk category.
Unfortunately, the situation is expected to continue. According to Environment Canada, conditions may improve only from Friday morning onward — provided the wildfires give the region some relief.
In the pic below, a view from Orfus Road in North York, Toronto (photo: Marzio Pelù)
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