The Big Smoke: NYC and the Northeast brace for two more days of hazardous smog from 400 Canadian wildfires which made the Big Apple world’s most polluted city – as health officials warn residents to wear masks
- A thick blanket of smoke descended across the Northeast and Great Lakes due to record wildfires in Canada
- Over 100 million people have been placed under an air quality warning due to the smog
- READ MORE: Wildfire smoke map: When US air quality from Canada fires will improve
New York City and the Northeast are braced for two more days of hazardous smog as the city continues to be blanketed by smoke from over 400 Canadian wildfires.
A thick haze shrouded the famous Big Apple skyline and turned the moon red Tuesday evening, while the city briefly became the most polluted in the world as its Air Quality Index score soared past 200, which is deemed ‘very unhealthy’.
At least ten school districts in New York cancelled all outdoor activities and vulnerable residents were advised to limit exposure after experts warned that breathing the fog can be as damaging as smoking six cigarettes.
Cities in the smoke’s path were still under a blanket of smog through Wednesday, as ongoing wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec plunged over 100 million people through North America under some form of air quality alert.
A sheet of smoke from the wildfires first descended on New York on Tuesday before thickening throughout the afternoon, leaving those in Manhattan unable to see the New Jersey skyline across the Hudson River.
As well as sending New Yorkers inside, air quality alerts were also introduced in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, Virginia and the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service.
In the most recent developments;
- The FAA grounded flights from New York’s LaGuardia Airport and New Jersey’s Newark Airport
- Several major cities are expected to be plagued by the smoke for several days
- Overnight, New York City briefly became the worst polluted city in the world due to the smog
Smoke in Times Square, NYC right now! @Ginger_Zee pic.twitter.com/DFKFrrc2Ne
— Max Golembo (@Wx_Max) June 7, 2023
While some areas including Indiana and Ohio saw the smoke disperse Wednesday morning, other regions such as Pennsylvania and Virginia will see the fog remain for several days.
