State of haze: Smoke lingers, Victorian town ranked among world’s most polluted

Victorians are being told to prepare for another day of hazardous air quality as bushfire smoke continues to blanket the city.

The state has the worst air quality in Australia again today.

Melbourne’s air quality reading is currently ‘Very Poor’, but it’s expected to return to ‘Hazardous’ later today.

Wangaratta is recording some of the worst pollution in the developed world, rating 568 on the world air pollution index, almost double the hazardous rating of 300.

Melton West (230), Brighton (225) and Doncaster (201) are the worst locations closer to Melbourne.

It’s hoped a cool change later today with clear the smoke, which has been lingering since Monday.

Hazardous air quality across Melbourne has wreaked havoc at the first day of the Australian Open qualifying matches and the Kooyong Classic yesterday.

Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic was forced to retire during her Australian Open qualifying match at Melbourne Park after suffering a coughing fit on court.

Doctor slams ‘irresponsible’ decision not to call off Australian Open qualifiers despite smoke haze

Smoked-out Melburnians warned face masks can do more harm than good

(Photo by William West/AFP via Getty Images)