Please complete your profile to unlock commenting and other important features.

Please select your date of birth for special perks on your birthday. Your username will be your unique profile link and will be publicly used in comments.
Narcity Pro

This is a Pro feature.

Time to level up your local game with Narcity Pro.

Pro

$5/month

$40/year

  • Everything in the Free plan
  • Ad-free reading and browsing
  • Unlimited access to all content including AI summaries
  • Directly support our local and national reporting and become a Patron
  • Cancel anytime.
For Pro members only Pro
Summary

Toronto's air quality is worse than India today and people are being warned to stay indoors

Be careful out there!

A hazy view of Downtown Toronto due to forest fire smoke.

Toronto's weather is taking a wild swing on Monday.

Erman Gunes | Dreamstime
Writer

If you've looked outside today and thought something felt off about Toronto's weather, you're not wrong. A thick layer of smoke has rolled into the city, and it's not just ruining the view — it's making the air seriously unhealthy to breathe.

A massive wave of wildfire smoke has blanketed the city, making it difficult to breathe, see, or even stay outside for more than a few minutes.

According to IQAir's global air quality ranking on Monday, Toronto is currently the second most polluted city in the entire world. It puts the 6ix ahead of major cities known for chronic pollution, including Byrnihat and Delhi — the top two most polluted cities in the world 2024, according to IQAir's rankings.*

In fact, in 2024, six of the world's top ten most polluted cities were in India. So, when Toronto's air quality is worse than cities that regularly top those lists, it really puts into perspective how intense the smoke is right now — and it's all thanks to the smoke drifting in from wildfires burning across northern Ontario.

Environment Canada has issued an air quality warning for the city, and the effects are being felt everywhere — hazy skies, reduced visibility, and air that smells like a campfire gone wrong. It has also issued a heat warning, with temperatures soaring to 31 C (and a humidex making it feel closer to 40), creating a brutal mix of heat and smoke that's hard to ignore.

Health officials are urging people, especially seniors, young children, pregnant individuals, and those with underlying health conditions, to stay indoors, keep windows shut, and avoid all strenuous outdoor activity. However, even healthy individuals can experience symptoms such as headaches, coughing, irritated eyes, or a sore throat.

If you have to be outside, a high-quality N95 mask can help, but it won't fully protect you from everything in the air. Experts say limiting exposure is the best course of action. And if you're inside, try to keep the air as clean as possible with filters or purifiers, especially with the heat adding another layer of risk.

With the smoke expected to stick around through the day and possibly into Tuesday, now's the time to cancel those outdoor plans, check in on people who might need help, and ride this one out indoors if you can. Because when Toronto ends up near the top of the world's most polluted cities list, it's not just a bad day — it's a warning.

*This article has been updated to provide more context on the headline's comparison to India.

AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of Narcity's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.

Explore this list   👀

    • Originally from Ireland, Tomás Keating was a Toronto-based Writer for Narcity. After graduating with a Masters in Journalism from the University of Galway in 2019, Tomás utilized his passion for news, current affairs, pop culture and sports as a digital journalist before relocating to Toronto in 2024. In his spare time, Tomás loves exploring the city, going to the cinema and playing Gaelic football with his local GAA club in Toronto.

    Torontonians are being told to 'limit time outdoors' because of wildfire smoke

    All of southern Ontario is under a special air quality statement.

    The Marineland from your childhood is dead: Inside the grim reality of what's left behind

    Recent drone footage from the semi-abandoned site shows the animals who've been left behind.