The famed skyline of New York City is obscured by a thick cloud brought on by smoke from the deadly wildfires raging in Canada. Unfortunately, this has led to the city’s reputation for having some of the world’s worst air pollution levels. Numerous cities around the US East Coast issued air quality alerts, while thousands of people in Canada were forced to leave their homes.
The mayor of New York City advised citizens to stay inside as the dense pollution cloud caused aircraft delays, postponed outdoor activities, and made yellow smog visible throughout the city. New York Mayor Eric Adams cautioned against participating in an outdoor activity with your kids or training for a marathon today.
Air quality warnings were issued by the U.S. National Weather Service for the whole northeastern region of the country, all the way west to Chicago and south to Atlanta. President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter, “It’s crucial that Americans who are exposed to dangerous air pollution, especially those with health conditions, listen to local authorities to protect themselves and their families.”
More than 20,000 people have been evacuated due to the flames, which have also scorched nearly 3.8 million hectares of land. This incident, according to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was the worst season ever.
The lowest air quality index (AQI) of any large city in the world, according to IQAir.com, was recorded in New York. At 5:00 (2100 GMT), according to AirNow, another air quality monitor, the city’s AQI reached a dangerous level of 413.
A developing storm system may be expected to move the smoke westward through the Great Lakes and farther south through the Ohio Valley and into the mid-Atlantic region. The poor air quality is likely to last until the weekend.