Toronto has the worst air quality in the entire world right now

Toronto was ranked as the city with the worst air quality in the entire world on Wednesday morning as wildfire smoke chokes out the city.

Anyone out and about on Wednesday morning has probably noticed the acrid smell of smoke and a burning sensation in their eyes and lungs, caused by out-of-control wildfires northwestern Ontario.

And if Wednesday's smoky air was too much for you to handle on your commute, that's totally understandable, as Toronto's plummeting air quality has earned it the distinction of the second-most polluted air quality of any major city in the world.

With an air quality index of 165 on the pollution-ranking site IQAir, Toronto ranked 2nd-worst for air quality worldwide as of 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, behind only Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, Toronto would surpass Kinshasa at around 8 a.m., taking the #1 spot on the list.

IQAir

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the current air quality index of 8 (high risk) will worsen to 10+ (very high risk) by the evening hours, and stay in dangerous territory through Thursday.

The government climate agency warns at-risk populations to avoid strenuous activities outdoors, while children and the elderly are advised to avoid any form of outdoor physical exertion. Even the general population should take special care, and are advised to reduce or reschedule strenuous activities if experiencing smoke-related respiratory symptoms.