What to know
- Toronto is experiencing its third consecutive day of wildfire smoke, with the Air Quality Health Index at 10+, indicating a very high health risk.
- Environment Canada says air quality may improve temporarily Friday afternoon but is expected to worsen again Friday evening and remain poor into the weekend.
- The smoky conditions have reduced visibility across parts of Ontario and prompted the City of Toronto to suspend lifeguard supervision at supervised beaches on Friday.
- Residents are being advised to limit time outdoors, avoid strenuous outdoor activities and wear a well-fitting N95 or equivalent respirator if spending time outside.
As air quality begins to improve across the Toronto region, Environment Canada is warning that the relief will be temporary, with smoky conditions expected to worsen again through the weekend.
Toronto is waking up to its third consecutive day of smoky, hazy skies caused by wildfires burning in northwestern Canada.
As of Friday morning, the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) remained at 10+, placing the city in the very high risk category. Many parts of Ontario are also experiencing reduced visibility as wildfire smoke continues to spread across the province.
Environment Canada says air quality may improve Friday afternoon, but that improvement is expected to be short-lived. The weather agency warns that poor air quality will return to “all regions this evening and may persist into the weekend.”
Air Quality Expected to Remain Poor Through Saturday
According to the AQHI forecast, Saturday’s air quality is expected to remain in the high-risk category, with an index of around 10. Conditions could improve by Saturday night, when the AQHI is forecast to drop to 6, which falls within the moderate risk range.
Smoke Disrupting Outdoor Activities
Friday’s smoky conditions have already begun affecting outdoor plans across the city. Due to the poor air quality, the City of Toronto says its supervised beaches will not have lifeguard service on Friday.
Environment Canada is advising residents to limit time outdoors and to reschedule or cancel outdoor sports, activities and events whenever possible.
“If you must spend time outdoors, limit the time as much as possible,” the agency said.
Officials also recommend wearing a well-constructed, well-fitting respirator, such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent mask, to help reduce exposure to the fine particles found in wildfire smoke.
Rain and Thunderstorms in the Weekend Forecast
Looking ahead, Toronto is expected to see unsettled weather over the weekend, with Environment Canada forecasting showers and thunderstorms on Saturday.
Despite the rain, temperatures are expected to remain seasonal, with daytime highs of around 27 C on both Saturday and Sunday.
A difficult week for Toronto
The latest forecast comes after Toronto spent much of the week under some of the worst air quality conditions in the world, as smoke from large wildfires burning across northern Ontario and western Canada drifted into southern Ontario.
The Air Quality Health Index reached 10+, its highest possible rating, prompting widespread health advisories. Hazy skies and the smell of smoke blanketed the city for several days, with visibility significantly reduced across the GTA.
