Three major US cities ranked in the top four for most polluted air in the world today \u2013 where readings are multiple times worse than the notoriously noxious Delhi, India \u2013 due to raging wildfires in Canada.<\/p>\n
Air pollution in Detroit, Michigan, was the worst in the world Thursday morning, with a score of 724 on the live global air quality index (AQI), according to IQAir<\/a> \u2013 which shows that the atmosphere becomes \u201chazardous\u201d starting at 301.<\/p>\n Toronto, Canada, saw the second-highest pollution levels, with a score of 271 \u2013 which falls within the \u201cvery unhealthy\u201d category between 201 and 300.<\/p>\n Wildfire smoke hangs over downtown Detroit on Thursday, July 16, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n An aerial shows smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketing Chicago on July 16, 2026. Getty Images<\/p>\n Smoke will raise significant air quality concerns today for an area spanning from the Upper Midwest into the Ohio Valley, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic. Code orange and higher alerts are currently in effect for practically all affected areas.<\/p>\n Smoke will continue to slowly traverse\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/7QKX2RzTgI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Max Velocity (@MaxVelocityWX) July 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The third- and fourth-most polluted air was found in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Chicago, Illinois, where the scores were 257 and 250, respectively.<\/p>\n Delhi \u2013 which traditionally tops annual pollution reports \u2013 had a score of 150, within the \u201cunhealthy for sensitive groups\u201d range, ranking it sixth on Thursday, according to the list.<\/p>\n Over 800 wildfires are still burning across Canada, including dozens that are out of control, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.<\/a><\/p>\n Wildfire smoke hangs over downtown Detroit on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Getty Images<\/p>\n Businesses and attractions shuttered and events were moved indoors across Motor City after residents awoke to hazy skies, odors of burnt wood and an AQI score that topped 800 at one point Thursday morning, according to the Detroit Free Press.<\/a><\/p>\n Parts of the North Star State, meanwhile, saw record-breaking smoke concentration levels that hadn\u2019t been experienced since 2014, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago were in the top 5 of most polluted cities in the world. IQair.com<\/p>\n By Wednesday afternoon, the AQI reached a whopping 1008 in Michigan\u2019s Upper Peninsula bordering Lake Superior, local news meteorologist Brian Niznansky wrote on X<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the wildfires continue to surge, officials from the Midwest all the way to New York City are urging residents to stay inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEvery New Yorker should take precautions. Limit your time outdoors, especially strenuous activity,\u201d Big Apple Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a>\u00a0said Thursday.<\/p>\n The same advice should go for people\u2019s beloved pets, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs irritating as smoke can be to people, it can cause health problems for animals as well\u2026If you can see or feel the effects of smoke yourself, you also should take precautions to keep your animals \u2014 both pets and livestock \u2014 safe,\u201d the association said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t