Toronto’s skies turned orange Wednesday due to smoke from forest fires in northwestern Ontario that plummeted the city’s air quality to among the worst in the world.
IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company that operates the world’s largest real-time air quality information platform, had ranked Canada’s largest city as the worst for air quality for majority of the morning and early afternoon.
Toronto sat ahead of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Delhi, India, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Jerusalem, Israel when it topped the list.
Environment Canada said in an orange air quality warning that much of southern Ontario is impacted by the smoke, which may persist into Friday for some areas.
It advised Canadians to limit time outdoors and prioritize keeping cool inside. FIFA Fan Festival, which has been hosting watch parties throughout the FIFA World Cup, cancelled Wednesday’s event due to the weather.
“You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough. More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough. If you think you are having a medical emergency, seek immediate medical assistance,” Environment Canada said.
“People more likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke, 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 avoid strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms.”
The CN Tower is pictured in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The sun is hazy with smoke in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. People walk on the waterfront in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
https://x.com/FWC26Toronto/status/2077428553939865981?s=20
The air quality warning comes in addition to a heat warning that has persisted since Monday.
Maximum temperatures of 30 to 36 C are expected Wednesday, with humidex values making that feel like 38 to 42 C.
The heat is expected to continue into the evening and may carry into Thursday or Friday near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
Tuesday was the worst day during the heat wave as humidex values made it feel like 38 to 45 C in parts of southern Ontario.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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