Mamdani warns of poor air quality in New York as Canadian wildfire smoke blankets city

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has urged residents to take precautions as smoke from Canadian wildfires continued to worsen air quality across parts of the city.

In a post on X, Mamdani said poor air quality affects everyone but poses a greater risk to people with heart or lung conditions, older adults, pregnant women, infants and children.

Visible smoke was expected to move into western New York before spreading across the rest of the state through the day, with the worst conditions forecast for the western region. Hazy skies and periods of poor air quality were expected across much of the state.

The mayor's warning came after the National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for New York City, which remained in effect until midnight on Wednesday.

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Authorities have advised residents to limit strenuous outdoor activities to reduce the risk of health complications.

Toronto records world's worst air quality

Toronto recorded the worst air quality among major cities worldwide on Wednesday, according to Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir, as Canadian authorities urged residents to remain indoors amid worsening wildfire smoke.

The city ranked ahead of New Delhi and Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after smoke from wildfires turned Toronto’s skies a hazy yellowish-grey.

“The biggest contributor to Toronto’s spike in air pollution right now is wildfires, though the higher than average temperatures are also playing a role,” Armen Araradian of IQAir told AFP.

Although Canada’s 2026 wildfire season has been less severe than recent years, more than 800 wildfires remain active across the country. Smoke from fires burning in northwestern Ontario drifted south, significantly affecting air quality in Toronto.