See what cities have the best (and worst) air quality right now

Deteriorating air quality from Canada’s wildfires has prompted Michiganders across the state to avoid the outdoors on Thursday, with much of the Midwest and Northeast U.S. experiencing similarly steep declines.

The U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) is EPA’s tool for communicating with the public about outdoor air quality and health. It includes six color-coded categories corresponding to a range of index values, with higher values reflecting higher health risk from poor air quality.

Today’s AQI for Southeast Michigan is above 600. According to the U.S. Air Quality Index, an AQI above 300 is considered hazardous.

IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality technology company that compares live air quality rankings for major cities worldwide, currently lists Detroit as having the worst air quality in the world.

For further context, view the company’s list of the top 10 cities with the worst and best air qualities today:

Top 10 cities with highest AQIs (worst air quality):

1. Detroit, Michigan - AQI: 724
2. Toronto, Canada - AQI: 271
3. Minneapolis, Minnesota - AQI: 257
4. Chicago, Illinois - AQI: 250
5. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo - AQI: 166
6. Doha, Qatar - AQI: 153
7. Delhi, India - AQI: 150
8. Jerusalem, Israel - AQI: 131
9. Lahore, Pakistan - AQI: 123
10. New York, New York - AQI: 122

Top 10 cities with lowest AQIs (worst air quality):

1. Sydney Australia - AQI: 12
2. Moscow, Russia - AQI: 22
3. Helsinki, Finland - AQI: 23
4. Lisbon, Portugal - AQI: 25
5. Salt Lake City, Utah - AQI: 33
6. Dakar, Senegal - AQI: 33
7. Portland, Oregon - AQI: 34
8. Denver, Colorado - AQI: 35
9. Canberra, Australia - AQI: 36
10. Kaohsiung, Taiwan - AQI: 36

View the latest global air quality rankings from AirIQ here.