Wildfire smoke blankets Toronto as city records world's worst major-city air quality

The sky over Toronto on Wednesday was shrouded in a thick blanket of smoke as Canada's devastating wildfire season continued, with the city recording the worst air quality among major cities worldwide, according to reports.

Footage shows the skyline engulfed in dense smoke as the sky turns an eerie orange and haze blankets the city.

The smoke drifted south from wildfires burning across parts of central and western Canada, where thousands of firefighters continue battling nearly 800 active blazes. Although this year's wildfire season has been less severe than the record-breaking fires of recent years, nearly 1.9 million hectares have still burned.

Environment Canada warned that hazardous air quality could persist in Toronto, urging residents to limit outdoor activity as thick smoke spread across southern Ontario and into parts of the northeastern United States.

Toronto briefly recorded the worst air quality of any major city in the world on Wednesday, overtaking cities including the DRC's Kinshasa and India's New Delhi, as wildfire smoke pushed pollution levels into the "very unhealthy" range, according to IQAir.