É«É«À²

On Thursday morning, É«É«À² had some of the worst air quality in the world as forest fire smoke from the Prairies blew into the city. A previous special air quality statement for the city was lifted by Environment Canada later that day.

“Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” the agency said, reminding people to monitor alerts and check forecasted air quality health index values regularly.

, a Swiss air technology company, says the smoke started drifting into the city Saturday but will be at its worst and make skies the most hazy midday Sunday. 

The company says the air is being choked by PM2.5 particles, a pollutant that is generally found in wildfire smoke. The particles are so small they can be absorbed into the bloodstream, making them especially harmful IQAir said. 

A measuring station at Greenwood and Danforth on Saturday evening reported the worst air quality in the city with IQAir warning that conditions were unsafe for sensitive groups. The rest of the city is still only at moderate risk, the company added. 

The wildfire smoke was particularly bad in northern Ontario and parts of Quebec with Montreal having some of the worst air quality in the world among major cities Saturday night. The city ranked fourth on IQAir’s quality index, behind Kinasha, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jakarta, Indonesia and Kampala, Uganda.

Areas around Sault Ste. Marie, Owen Sound and Sudbury were the smokiest in Ontario Saturday where the PM2.5 concentration was as much as 13.5 times more than recommended by the World Health Organization. É«É«À²’s levels were still 4.2 times more than what the organization suggests is healthy. 

Environment Canada forecast for É«É«À²

Saturday is expected to be sunny, with the local smoke expected to blow in around the late afternoon. There will be a daytime high of 27 C, feeling like 30 with humidity and a UV index of seven.

At night, skies will be clear but the smoke will stay steady as temperatures dip to 16 C.

Sunday will be sunny until clouds starts to cover in the early afternoon. A high of 30 C is expected with the humidex reaching 35 and the UV index climbing to eight. Smoke will persist throughout the day but is expected to let up at night along with temperatures which will drop to 17 C.

The sun will be out again on Monday and temperatures are expected to hit a high of 30 C. Nighttime will see clear skies and a low of 18 C.

How to protect yourself from smoky air

As smoke levels increase, so do the health risks, Environment Canada warns. If possible, stay indoors and reduce or reschedule any outdoor activities. 

When you’re indoors, keep your windows and doors closed as much as possible to keep smoky air out, the agency said, but you should prioritize keeping cool when there is extreme heat and poor air quality at the same time.

Experiencing mild symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough because of the smoke isn’t uncommon, the agency said. More serious symptoms such as wheezing, chest pains or severe cough are causes for concern though and a reason to seek immediate medical assistance, Environment Canada added. 

Those more likely to be impacted — including people aged 65 and older, pregnant people, infants and young children, people with an existing illness or chronic health condition, and people who work outdoors — should take extra caution to protect themselves from the smoky air.