A blanket of wildfire smoke hanging over parts of southern Ontario has left Toronto with some of the worst air quality in the world and led to warnings to limit time outdoors.
On Monday morning, Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement for the vast majority of southern Ontario, predicting “poor air quality and reduced visibility” as a result of forest fires.
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The smoke has sat over Toronto and the province through the weekend and is expected to persist overnight and into Tuesday. After that, it is expected to begin to clear.
According to the Swiss tracking agency IQAir, on Monday morning, Toronto had the fourth-worst air globally.
It ranked behind Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Manama in Bahrain and Detroit. Toronto’s score around 11 a.m. of 152 was classified by the agency as “unhealthy.”
Environment Canada urged people to be cautious about the time they spend outside.
“Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events,” its air quality warning said.
“You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough.”
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