A forecast of rain in the GTA area could bring much-needed relief from poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke. Follow for live updates:
What we know so farEnvironment Canada downgraded its air quality warning to yellow.Toronto is under a severe thunderstorm watch. Doug Ford is planning to visit Thunder Bay, where many evacuees have sought shelter.Use the Star’s interactive map to see where the smoke is going this weekend.
A woman bikes along the waterfront in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press
Toronto downgraded to yellow air quality warning as conditions improve
Environment Canada’s air quality warning for Toronto has been downgraded from the orange to the yellow level as conditions improve.
As of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Toronto is only under a yellow warning for air quality which indicates a moderate impact.
Environment Canada still recommends limiting time outdoors, especially for those more likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke such as people over 65, pregnant people, infants and children.
“You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough,” the agency wrote.
Flows of fresh southwest air coming into Toronto, along with rain predicted for the afternoon could help further improve conditions, Environment Canada meteorologist Weiqing Zhang said.
After the air quality improves in the afternoon, it could worsen Saturday evening and overnight before “a major improvement” expected Sunday, Environment Canada wrote.
People cool off at Gus Ryder Pool by Sunnyside Beach on July 28, 2025.
Nick Lachance/Toronto Star file photo
Outdoor pools set to reopen in Toronto, GTA as air quality improves
Toronto’s outdoor swimming and wading pools are set to reopen for the first time since Wednesday as air quality conditions are predicted to improve.
All outdoor pools will open at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon for their regular programming, according to a notice posted on the city website.
Toronto first closed all wading and outdoor pools on Wednesday because of the lingering smoke from wildfires burning in northern Ontario, which led to an orange air quality warning issued by Environment Canada.
Smoke lingers in the evening sky along the Trans Canada Highway west of Thunder Bay on July 17, 2026.
Arlyn McAdorey/ Toronto Star
Air quality to improve, Toronto under severe thunderstorm watch
The air quality in Toronto is expected to improve throughout the day, Environment Canada predicts.
Toronto is currently under an orange air quality warning indicating very poor air quality, which could lift in the coming hours according to Weiqing Zhang, a severe weather meteorologist at Environment Canada.
“We’ve already gotten the southwest flows of fresh air, so that will move in to Toronto … the air quality will gradually improve this morning,” Zhang said, adding that the orange warning will likely be downgraded to a yellow one as the air improves.
Toronto is now also under a yellow severe thunderstorm watch, indicating that conditions are favourable for severe thunderstorms starting around 12 p.m. Between 25 and 40 millimetres of rain are possible, along with wind gusts up to 110 km/h and hail as big as ping-pong balls, according to Environment Canada.
The cooler air, combined with the effect from the rain bringing down smoke particles mean that the air quality in Toronto will likely not reach an orange warning level on Sunday, Zhang said.
Check our smoke forecast map
How to stay safe as Toronto’s air is compared to smoking cigarettes
By Kevin Jiang | Science and Life Reporter
While the skies over Toronto are looking clearer, Environment Canada still has an air quality warning in place.
On 9 a.m. Friday, exposure to the air for a 24-hour period carried roughly the same mortality risk as smoking 4.1 cigarettes, according to website How Many Smokes?
The calculation, which is updated constantly, is based on research by Berkeley Earth, which suggests breathing in 22 micrograms per cubic metre of fine particulate matter for 24 hours carries approximately the same mortality risk as smoking one cigarette.
Toronto ranks first on global list for worst air quality
By Adshayah Sathiaseelan | Star Staff
Toronto ranked as the world’s most polluted major city again Saturday morning, returning to the top spot for the first time in three days.
The ranking comes as smokes from wildfires in northwestern Ontario continues to blanket the region, prompting Environment Canada to maintain the orange air-quality alert first issued for the area Tuesday night.
Forest fire smoke will result in “very poor air quality” Saturday morning, with some improvement expected later in the morning into the afternoon, Environment Canada said in an update around 5:20 a.m. Saturday
“However, poor air quality may return tonight,” the weather agency added.
Toronto’s U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) was sitting at 186 on Saturday morning, making it the world’s most polluted city, according to IQAir. New York ranked second at 180, followed by Washington at 173.
On the U.S. AQI scale, Toronto’s reading of 184 is considered unhealthy.
Downtown Toronto’s air quality began deteriorating again around 12 a.m. Saturday, with the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) climbing back to the “high risk” category, after improving to low and moderate air quality readings on Friday.
The AQHI reached the “very high risk” category at around 2 a.m. Saturday with a reading of 11, the first time since 6 a.m. Friday. It peaked at 14 by 4 a.m. before dropping to 9 at 6 a.m. and back to 14 as of 7 a.m.
On the AQHI, readings of 7 to 10 are considered high risk, while readings above 10 are classified as very high risk.
Pedestrians wear masks at Yonge and Dundas as wildfire smoke from northwestern Ontario blankets Toronto on July 17, 2026.
R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star
Junior parade postponed at Toronto Caribbean Carnival
By Gabriel Hilty | Star Staff
The junior carnival parade at Caribana, now known as the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, has been postponed to Sunday due to the forecasted poor weather in the city.
In a post on social media, the festival organizers wrote that while the junior parade date was changed due to the predicted inclement weather, “the celebration is still on, just one day later.” Toronto currently remains under an orange air-quality alert due to wildfire smoke and is expecting a chance of thunderstorms and showers throughout the day.
The junior carnival parade features thousands of young masqueraders filling the street with handcrafted costumes and dance.
It will take place Sunday, July 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. along its original route by Neilson Park and Malvern Community Centre.
CN Rail workers on a firefighting train travel past the Brunswick Creek wildfire in Boston Bar, B.C., on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press
Zombie fires and ‘firenados’: How Ontario firefighters tackle wildfires in the era of climate change
Walls of flames sweeping through forest at 200 kilometres an hour. Infernos so powerful they spawn dry lightning and burning tornadoes. Zombie fires that smoulder underground, surviving multiple winters.
In the era of climate change, wildfires like the ones raging in northern Ontario this week aren’t what they used to be. Often, they’re bigger and more intense — creating new challenges for firefighters working to douse them.
Most people imagine crews in the forest squaring off against a wildfire, says Eric Kennedy, an associate professor at York University who specializes in wildfire management. But the reality is very different.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks in front of a live map of smoke movement during a press conference updating media on ongoing forest fires in Ontario, in Toronto, Friday, July 17, 2026.
Cole Burston/The Canadian Press
Premier Doug Ford expected to visit Thunder Bay as fires rage in northern Ontario
Premier Doug Ford is planning to visit Thunder Bay, where many evacuees fleeing northern Ontario wildfires have sought shelter.
Ford is expected to join Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris in the city today, as the province faces criticism for its emergency response.
Ford has said more than 150 fire crews and over 80 water bombers and helicopters are battling the wildfires and the province would spare no expense in keeping people safe.
Multiple northern communities have already been evacuated or have evacuations underway, and others are preparing for possible evacuations.
Ford has faced backlash over the level of funding and resources the province has allocated for wildfire response, while Harris has fielded criticism for his ministry’s handling of the evacuations of two First Nation communities.
FIFA Fan Festival set to return on the weekend, other screening cancelled due to smoke
Fans watch Canada’s World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at FIFA Fan Fest in Toronto on June 12.
Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press
Toronto’s official FIFA Fan Festival is set to reopen for the weekend, according to a city spokesperson. The festival was previously forced to close on Wednesday due to poor air quality conditions in the city.
On Saturday, the festival is set to screen the France-England third-place game at 5 p.m., followed by the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at 3 p.m. on Sunday. While free, general admission tickets have sold out, paid tickets are still available.
Unlike the Fan Festival, a soccer watch party organized by the University of Toronto for Saturday has been cancelled due to the air quality warning still in place in Toronto.
City urges residents to monitor air quality as wildfire smoke could return
The CN Tower is pictured in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
Laura Proctor/ The Canadian Press
Medical officer of health Dr. Michelle Murti is cautioning Torontonians to keep themselves apprised of the latest air quality readings this weekend as wildfire smoke is expected to return and could do so suddenly.
“This is a very dynamic situation,” she said at a Friday afternoon press conference in city hall. “Air quality shifts rapidly. From hour to hour, we can see significant changes, so we’re monitoring very closely.”
In the event the smoke returns this weekend, Murti offered the same advice she said she would give people during periods of extreme heat: Stay hydrated, delay exercising outdoors and check in on vulnerable neighbours. Additionally, prevent polluted air from coming inside by sealing windows and doors, setting ventilation systems to recirculate and using an indoor air filter. She said prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke has been associated with greater risk of cancer and neurodevelopmental damages in children.
“When the air quality is better, I encourage people to spend time outdoors,” she said. “But be prepared to move back indoors if the air quality changes again.”
Helga AuYeung walks bernadoodles Grady and Molba as smoke hangs over Liberty Village.
Richard Lautens/Toronto Star
As wildfire smoke blankets Toronto, here’s what people with lung conditions are going through
By Sheila Reid | Staff Reporter
Kristjan Lautens | Staff Reporter
The city has faced some of the worst air quality in the world this week, as Environment Canada warned residents to shelter inside and local hospitals reported spikes in their emergency room visits. People everywhere were battling the orange haze, but for those living with chronic lung conditions, the last few days have been debilitating at times.
Vaibhav Gupta, a thoracic surgeon and chief medical advisor for the Lung Health Foundation, said people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are most at risk in these conditions, with the smoke also putting a strain on those with heart disease.
On a good day, COPD patient Scott Bailey has to concentrate on every breath he takes. The wildfire smoke has made breathing even harder.
“It’s like breathing through a straw,” said the Belleville resident. “It feels like I’m smoking again.”
Donald Trump threatens new tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke
OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to increase trade tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke from northern Ontario, and declared Friday that he would press Prime Minister Mark Carney to take action.
In a post on social media, Trump claimed the fires were caused by Canada’s supposed failure to maintain forests and remove “debris,” and said he would call Carney to “find out what they are going to do about it.
“The United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Carney’s office did not immediately respond when asked about Trump’s threat.