Chicago Braces for Unhealthy Air as Wildfire Smoke Returns

Smoke from Canadian wildfires returned to Chicago, pushing the city’s Air Quality Index to 128 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) and placing it among the world’s worst air-quality rankings; an alert remains in effect through Sunday night, with health guidance urging limited outdoor activity for children, the elderly and people with lung conditions and recommending N95/KN95 masks if outdoors. Earlier in the weekend, a record 638 AQI led to beach closures and event postponements, and while conditions were briefly better on Friday, smoke returned Saturday, with possible Monday storms that could displace the haze, though uncertainty remains.