Toronto's smoky skies soon expected to clear as air quality advisory is lifted

Hamilton Spectator

4 days ago

The worst of Toronto's smoky skies is over, Environment Canada says, though the city still had some of the worst air quality in the world on Wednesday.
Wildfire smoke has been blowing into the city since Sunday, sparking several air quality warnings across the GTA.
Environment Canada lifted its special air quality statement for the city on Wednesday night.
'When air pollution levels are high, everyone should limit time outdoors,' the agency said earlier Wednesday, urging people to reschedule their outside sports, activities and other events.
Swiss company IQAir
marked Toronto with the ninth worst air quality among the world's biggest cities Wednesday morning. The website said skies were 'unhealthy for sensitive groups,' before the city's poor air quality plummeted to 105th place by Wednesday evening.
The company warned that the air was being choked by PM2.5 particles, a pollutant commonly found in wildfire smoke. It is particularly harmful because is it very small and can be absorbed into the bloodstream when breathing.
The PM2.5 concentration in Toronto
was 7.4 times more than what it should be, according to the World Health Organization's values.
The east-end was hit particularly hard with the Greenwood and Danforth area and the Beaches getting the brunt of it, IQAir said.
Environment Canada's own
air quality health index
pegged Toronto at a high risk, or seven out of 10, though it dipped to a moderate five by Wednesday night. Thursday morning and night are projected to be low risk, with a health index rating of two or three.
A heat warning, in effect since the weekend, also loomed large over Toronto on Wednesday, with Environment Canada forecasting hot and hazy conditions giving way to showers and a possible thunderstorm in the day ahead.
'A shift in the weather pattern late this week will likely end this multi-day period of heat and humidity Thursday night,' the agency said in its warning.
The forecast called for increasing cloud coverage Wednesday night with hazy skies, plus
a persistent 30 per cent chance of showers beginning in the early evening and a potential thunderstorm. Winds will blow at 20 km/h after midnight, bringing a nighttime low of 22 C. .
The clouds will stick around into Thursday with a 60
per cent chance of showers and another possible thunderstorm. There will be a daytime high of 29 C, which will feel as high as 37 C with the humidity and a UV index of seven, which is high. Winds will gust up to 50 km/h.
There will be more cloudy periods Thursday night with a refreshing low of 14
C expected.
On Friday, 23 C daytime temperatures and sunny skies are called for. On Friday night, temperatures are again expected to fall to a cooler 14 C with clear skies.
The city extended its heat warning into Wednesday, urging Torontonians to get hydrated at their water trucks at Nathan Phillips Square, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Mel Lastman Square and Sankofa Square.
Hours were also extended at some of the city's outdoor pools with Alex Duff, Fairbank, McGregor, Monarch, North Toronto, Smithfield and Sunnyside staying open until 11:45 p.m. Wednesday.
With files from Elissa Mendes