Wildfire smoke: Toronto schools reschedule some outdoor events; Environment Canada forecasting ‘high risk’ air quality index

The latest news and updates in Toronto, the GTA and Ontario over the worsening air quality conditions due to ongoing wildfire smoke from northeastern Ontario and Quebec.

7:10 a.m. New York was the most polluted major city in the world on Tuesday night, as smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed the city in haze, according to the IQAir website.

Pollution levels in the city were deemed to be in the “unhealthy” range, and were higher than those in the Indian capital Delhi and Iraq’s Baghdad at 1:25 a.m. New York time, according to the Swiss air quality company.

Other North American cities were also being afflicted by smoke from the unprecedented wildfires, with Detroit affected particularly badly.

7:05 a.m. As the skies fill with haze and wildfire smoke turns the moon red, prompting poor air quality warnings over large chunks of Ontario and Quebec, experts are warning that, barring any major climate-change mitigating factors, we may have to get used to this.

And that means getting used to the increased risk of lung disease, heart disease, cancer and the resultant strain on already taxed health-care resources that comes along with it.

As of Tuesday, most of southern and eastern Ontario and a large swath of Quebec were under Special Air Quality Statements largely thanks to Quebec wildfires burning out of control.

Read the full story from the Star’s Steve McKinley

6:15 a.m. Environment Canada is forecasting an Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) of “High Risk” for Wednesday. As of 6:15 a.m. Wednesday the AQHI level was at 3 out of 10, meaning low risk.

The weather agency is forecasting moderate risk of 6 Wednesday evening, but conditions are expected to worsen by Thursday, with the agency expecting a high risk AQHI of 9.

You can view the risk levels for Toronto and many other cities in the province here.

6 a.m. The Toronto District School Board announced late Tuesday night that “outdoor activities and athletic events planned for tomorrow and Thursday” would be rescheduled or moved indoors where possible after reviewing the Air Quality Health Index and guidance from Environment Canada and Toronto Public Health.

The full list of events can be found here.

SHARE: