(Trends Wide) — More than 100 million people were under air quality alerts early Friday from Wisconsin to Vermont and as far as North Carolina as smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to drift into the southern US, though it is expect conditions to slowly improve over the holiday weekend.
Thursday’s storms eased some smoke relief in parts of the Midwest, and expected rain there this Friday should provide more relief. But the smoke may dissipate less quickly in the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic, where storms will be more isolated.
“Air quality is expected to improve in the short term, as the combination of thunderstorm activity and smoke dispersal will result in improved air quality conditions across much of the country before the end of the year. weekdays,” the National Weather Service said.
The more than 500 active wildfires ravaging Canada have deteriorated air quality in parts of the country and the United States. As of early Friday, Toronto topped a list of the world’s top cities with the worst air quality, followed by Washington, according to IQAir.
The Manhattan skyline is shrouded in haze and smoke from wildfires in Canada in New York City on Thursday. (Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters)
Detroit, which topped the same list Thursday night, ranked fourth early Friday, while New York City was sixth worst in the world, the website showed.
This Friday the worst air quality in the United States is expected to stretch from Michigan to Ohio and the Mid-Atlantic, including Washington.
The air in those areas is expected to rate “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” a level 3 of 6, or “unhealthy,” a level 4 of 6, in the developed US Air Quality Index. by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Current air quality ratings can be found at AirNow.gov, a partnership of agencies that includes the EPA.
The “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category generally includes the elderly, young children, people with certain chronic illnesses, and outdoor workers.
Separately, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that a statewide air quality health advisory will remain in effect until this Friday, urging residents to take necessary preventative measures, such as using of masks, to stay safe outdoors.
“With more visible ground-level smoke and air quality continuing to reach unhealthy levels in many parts of the state, we encourage New Yorkers to take precautions to protect their health,” Hochul said.
Western and central New York, along with the eastern Lake Ontario region, are forecast to reach the “unhealthy” air quality threshold as early as Friday, the governor’s office said. Other areas in the state could see air rated in the less severe category of “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
Air quality in New York was at unhealthy levels due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires on Thursday. (Credit: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Canada Day fireworks in Montreal canceled
The Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia had some of the worst air quality in the country on Thursday night, according to IQAir.
The impacts of the fires have led Canadian authorities to cancel the Canada Day fireworks in Montreal scheduled for this Saturday, although other festivities are planned.
While forecasters were unsure about the air quality this Saturday, the decision to cancel was “in solidarity,” said Stéphane Guertin, president of Tandem Communications, which was organizing the event.
“I’m just being compassionate about what’s going on right now. That’s why we canceled it. It’s about what’s going on in the fires and what’s on the air right now,” Guertin told Trends Wide.
“Something bad is happening now in northern Quebec, so we are all in this together. So, it was cancelled. We are not going to put anything else on the air.”
The Toronto skyline is seen covered in smoke on Wednesday from the CN Tower. (Credit: Arif Balkan/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, and scientists have been warning that fires this intense are becoming more common as the planet warms.
The smoke from those flames can travel thousands of miles, endangering millions more.
Smoke from wildfires is particularly dangerous because it contains particulate matter, or PM2.5, a tiny but dangerous pollutant. When inhaled, it can penetrate deep into lung tissue and enter the bloodstream, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It comes from sources including the combustion of fossil fuels, dust storms, and forest fires. Particulate matter has been linked to health problems, including asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory diseases.
— Trends Wide’s Michelle Watson and Raja Razek contributed to this report.
