Forest fire smoke envelops Toronto, bringing poor air quality, pollution – CBC

Special weather statement for Toronto continues Wednesday

Jun 07, 2023

Environment Canada has increased the air quality risk level for Toronto on Wednesday, up from Tuesday, as forest fire smoke continues to blanket the city.

A special air quality statement remained in place for the city on Wednesday night, saying high levels of pollution had developed due to the wildfires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario.

The federal weather agency predicts Toronto will reach a risk level of nine on the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) on Thursday. The index measures air quality based on how it will impact health. That number indicates high risk during the day and means people may want to consider cancelling outdoor activities.

“There’s a ridge over Ontario right now, so it means these winds are consistently bringing in poor air quality,” said Trudy Kidd, an operational metrologist with Environment Canada.

On Tuesday, the city was at moderate risk and on a level five on the scale of one to ten.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/air-quality-toronto-fires-smoke-1.6868010