More than 100 million in the US are under air quality alerts as Canadian wildfires continue
More than 100 million people were under air quality alerts early Friday from Wisconsin to Vermont and down to North Carolina as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to waft south, though conditions are expected to improve slowly into the holiday weekend.
Storms on Thursday brought some relief from the smoke in parts of the Midwest, and more rain there Friday should provide more relief. But smoke may dissipate less quickly in the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic, where Friday’s storms will be more isolated.
“Air quality is expected to improve in the short term as a combination of thunderstorm activity and dispersion of smoke will ultimately result in improving air quality conditions for much of the country heading into the weekend,” the National Weather Service said.
More than 500 active wildfires raging across Canada have tanked the air quality across parts of that country and the US. As of early Friday, Toronto topped a list of the world’s major cities with the worst air quality, followed by Washington, DC, according to IQAir.
Detroit – which topped the same list on Thursday evening – ranked fourth early Friday, while New York City was sixth, the website showed.
On Friday, the United States’ worst air quality is expected to span from Michigan to Ohio and into the Mid-Atlantic, including Washington, DC.
The air in those areas is expected to be rated “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” a level 3 of 6, or “unhealthy,” a level 4 of 6, on the US Air Quality Index developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Current air quality ratings can be found on AirNow.gov, a partnership of agencies including the EPA.
“Unhealthy for sensitive groups” typically includes the elderly, young children, those with certain chronic illnesses and outdoor workers.
Elsewhere, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that a statewide air quality health advisory will remain in effect through Friday, urging residents to take necessary preventative measures – like masking – to stay safe outdoors.
“With ground-level smoke more visible 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.
The western and central parts of New York along with the eastern Lake Ontario region are forecast to reach the “unhealthy” air quality threshold on Friday, the governor’s office said. Other areas in the state could see air rated in the less severe “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category.
Source: CNN
