On Wednesday, Toronto’s skies took on an orange hue from smoke drifting in from forest fires in northwestern Ontario, resulting in some of the worst air quality levels worldwide.
IQAir, a Swiss company specializing in air quality technology, reported that Canada’s largest city was ranked as having the poorest air quality for most of the morning and early afternoon.
At one point, Toronto surpassed cities like Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Delhi in India, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and Jerusalem in Israel on this list.
According to Environment Canada’s orange air quality warning, much of southern Ontario is being affected by the smoke, which could linger until Friday in certain regions.
The agency advised Canadians to limit their time outside and focus on staying cool indoors. The FIFA Fan Festival canceled its watch party event scheduled for Wednesday due to these conditions.
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“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.
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“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.”
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Due to the orange air quality warning in Toronto, today’s FIFA Fan Festival has been cancelled.
The health and safety of attendees, staff, volunteers and emergency personnel remains our top priority.
Premium ticket holders will be contacted directly regarding refunds. pic. twitter. com/NIrbd9Wqca
– FIFA World Cup 26 Toronto (@FWC26Toronto) July 15, 2026
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The air quality warning comes alongside a heat warning that has been ongoing since Monday.
This Wednesday is expected to see maximum temperatures between 30 to 36 C with humidex values making it feel like it’s between 38 to 42 C.
The heat is anticipated to last into the evening and might extend into Thursday or Friday near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
This past Tuesday was particularly bad during the heat wave when humidex values felt like they ranged from 38 to 45 C across parts of southern Ontario.
& copy; 2026 , a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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