Detroit, Minneapolis, and New York rank among world's most polluted cities as Canadian wildfire smoke spreads

On July 16, 2026, IQAir ranked Detroit, Minneapolis, and New York among the world's most polluted major cities. Smoke from Northern Ontario wildfires drifted across the Great Lakes into the US Northeast and Midwest. The National Weather Service confirmed smoke impacts across the Great Lakes region. Toronto registered the worst air quality globally on July 15, with an AQHI of 10+.