Seattle has the worst air quality of any major city in the WORLD, falling behind India and China

Seattle had the worst air quality out of all cities in the world for two days in a row this week, beating out notoriously polluted cities like Beijing and Delhi.

The city’s horrible air quality was brought on by forest fires raging in the nearby Cascade Mountains, coupled with successive weeks of abnormally hot and dry weather in the region.

Smoke poured into the city streets and blotted out the sun and the skyline, and even left Mount Rainer completely shrouded in smoke and fog.

The view from atop the Seattle Space Needle was equally bleak, with most of the city lost behind an apocalyptic cloud of smoke during the daylight hours.

On Wednesday Seattle’s Air Quality Index (AQI) topped 240, a level labeled ‘very unhealthy’ by the air quality monitor IQAIR. Beijing clocked a comparatively meager ‘unhealthy’ 167.  

Many Seattle residents ventured outside only with masks on their faces, and the city was filled with the acrid scent of smoke, according to the Washington Post.

Seattle had the worst air quality of all cities in the world on Wednesday and Thursday this week, beating out the usual contenders for the smoggy crown like Beijing and Delhi

The air quality index score in Seattle clocked in at a whopping 240 on Wednesday, which the air quality monitoring website IQAir qualifies as ‘very unhealthy’

The view from atop the Seattle Space Needle this morning (above) showed the entire city shrouded in a thick blanket of yellow smoke

The I-90 bridge is blanketed in smoke as seen from East Point Viewpoint on Wednesday afternoon in Seattle

National Weather Service meteorologist Maddie Kristell said that Seattle’s position at the top of the smoggy heap was a ‘shocking statistic.’

She said a persistent high pressure ridge near the city kept vital storm rains from coming to the city and allowed dryness and fires to flourish. 

‘That ridge was really strong and it was just not allowing a difference in weather patterns to come through,’ Kristell said.

Washington State has been dealing with an unprecedented drought since June, and has also been dealing with months of unusually high temperatures. 

Just this past Sunday, Seattle broke its record for this hottest day this late in the fall after clocking 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

Smoke and haze fill the skies over Beacon Hill and I-5 in Seattle

Scenes from Seattle showed the skyline shrouded in grey smoke which blotted out the sun and even nearby Mount Rainier

Many Seattle residents ventured outside only with masks on their faces, and the city was filled with the acrid scent of smoke, according to the Washington Post

The acrid air was caused by forest fires raging in the nearby Cascade Mountains, coupled with successive weeks of abnormally hot and dry weather in the region

Seattle maintained its inglorious position at the top of the charts throughout Thursday. 

Though Delhi, India, took the top spot for a spell by nightfall – currently Karachi, Pakistan reigns – Seattle has maintained a steady second place. 

As of midnight Thursday, Seattle was clocking a 176 AQI, which IQAir deems ‘unhealthy.’

The website recommended closing windows to keep out the filthy air, running air purifiers in doors, wearing masks outdoors, and avoiding outdoor exercise. 

Rain is forecast to finally return to Seattle on Friday, which is expected to clear out the smoke and return the air to safe quality.

On Wednesday Seattle’s Air Quality Index (AQI) topped 240, a level labeled ‘very unhealthy’ by the air quality monitor IQAIR. Beijing clocked a comparatively meager ‘unhealthy’ 167

National Weather Service meteorologist Maddie Kristell told the Washington Post that Seattle’s position at the top of the smoggy heap was a ‘shocking statistic’