Smoke from wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario descended over the Toronto area Monday, making for hazy skies and orange-tinted lighting.
Environment Canada meteorologist Weiqing Zhang told Daily Hive it’s an extremely rare event for smoke to come to Toronto from so far away.
“Now the smoke has come down to the surface. It’s kind of bad,” she said.
On Sunday evening, the smoke turned the sun a strange red colour at sunset, and by Monday afternoon, it covered the sun again. The air tasted smoky at street level, and it obscured the view of downtown buildings.
Smokey #Sunset #toronto @weathernetwork #ShareYourWeather #twn pic.twitter.com/026E5LmTSd
ā Lindsey (@redtailsunset) July 19, 2021
Daily Hive Toronto
Zhang said the smoke is worse over northern areas of the city compared to downtown.
The Air Quality Health Index for Toronto currently sits at a six out of ten, or “moderate” risk. But over the northern end of Toronto, it could be as high as seven.
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Toronto’s air quality is usually impacted by pollution during hot weather, but this time its wildfire smoke that’s making it hard to breathe.
The good news is that rain from thunderstorms coming tomorrow will help clear the smoke away. Children and seniors and those with underlying health conditions may want to postpone outdoor activity until the air quality improves.