You’re not imagining it – with smoke and haze coming down from the British Columbia wildfires, Western Washington’s air quality has plummeted below some of the world’s most perpetually smoggy cities.
Seattle’s air quality index was 156 on Thursday afternoon, which is considered unhealthy, according to AirNow.
That’s worse than Los Angeles and several cities in China and India.
Beijing’s air quality index was 80, Shanghai sat at 78, and Chongqing was ranked 65, all of which are considered moderate, according to the World Air Quality Index Project.
Kolkata (95; moderate) and Mumbai (34; good) both ranked better than Seattle. However, New Delhi (158; unhealthy) was slightly worse.
Even Los Angeles smog couldn’t beat Pacific Northwest haze. Several areas near Los Angeles, including San Bernadino (135), East and West San Fernando Valley (133), Southeast LA County (90), and Central Orange County (90) ranked worse than Seattle.
Due to Seattle’s poor air quality, people are encouraged to reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.
Related: Protecting yourself from hazy air
