The iconic skyline of New York City has been shrouded in a thick haze from smoke caused by raging wildfires in Canada, which almost made the Statue of Liberty disappear from view. The air quality has plummeted in the past few days, causing it to be considered among the world’s most polluted cities.
Swiss air quality technology company IQAir ranked the city second on the list of tracked countries, behind Delhi in India, for the worst air quality and pollution as of early Wednesday.
According to the company, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city has reached 160, an unhealthy level, which may cause some people to experience health effects. The AQI of 162 in Detroit soon pushed New York to third place.
IQAir revealed that particulate matter in New York’s air was measured at 14.5 times the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual air quality guideline value, but it’s expected to improve to at least moderate through the weekend.
In the past few years, the AQI of New York City has always been less than 50, and therefore classified as good, according to IQAir. Washington, D.C. only has an AQI of 180, 22.3 times the WHO’s guideline value. Yet, for unknown reasons, it has not yet been formally listed on the IQAir world’s-worst air quality list. However, it would put it just behind Delhi on the list.
The air quality in the nation’s capital is even higher according to the government-run website AirNow, with an AQI of 194, which is considered hazardous to anyone, and even worse than the AQI in New York City.
The National Weather Service warned that being exposed to such pollution levels can cause headaches, breathing issues, and more, especially in the elderly, children and those who are immunocompromised.
Health advisories for air quality have been placed for all of New York State as a result of the poor air quality.
This sudden change in New York’s air quality is in stark contrast to the typical air quality that the city experiences which quite often classified as good, according to IQAir.
The situation began due to the dozens of wildfires blazing across eastern Canada, which has caused over 9.3 million acres of land to be charred.
Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams warned on Wednesday’s CBS Mornings that thick smog pollution is to be expected through Saturday throughout the Midwest to the Northeast and even into the South.
“There are fires burning all across Canada with over 9.3 million acres charred,” Abrams stated. “From the Midwest to the Northeast and even into the South, there’s going to be thick smoke pollution at least through Saturday, especially in the Northeast.”
The Canadian government issued a statement on Monday, warning that June has the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity throughout most of the country due to drought and warm temperatures.
It added that, “During July, wildfire potential is expected to expand into Yukon, although the eastern edge will recede from western Quebec into central Ontario.”
The threat of increased fires due to climate change is one of the many reasons why the Canadian government is currently developing a robust National Adaptation Strategy alongside both government and Indigenous groups.
New York City’s iconic skyline has been left in an unhealthy state due to smoke created by fiery wildfires in Canada, causing the Statue of Liberty and high-rises to become barely visible.
In just a few days, the city has had some of the world’s worst air pollution, with New York City being ranked just behind Delhi, India. Swiss air quality technology company IQAir listed New York City as having the second-worst air quality and pollution in the world amongst 100 countries that they track.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) for the city has risen to 160, which is categorized as an unhealthy level and can cause adverse health effects. Detroit’s AQI soon overtook it with a score of 162, bumping New York City down to third place.
According to IQAir, particulate matter in the air of New York was 14.5 times more than the annual air quality guideline of the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the smog is expected to improve to at least the “moderate” level throughout the weekend.
Recent AQI levels in New York City have always been less than 50 and classified as “good” by IQAir. For an unknown reason, Washington, D.C. hasn’t been listed on the IQAir world’s-worst air quality list.
Nevertheless, the city has an AQI of 180, which is more than 22.3 times over the guideline value of the WHO, putting it directly behind the city of Delhi for the second-worst air pollution spot.
The air quality in the nation’s capital is worse than New York City per the government-run website AirNow, with an AQI of 194, and is considered harmful to anyone.
Therefore, the National Weather Service has been warning about the health hazards of such pollution, and health advisories for air quality have been extended all over New York State.
The poor air quality is harmful to the elderly, children, and the immunocompromised and can be responsible for causing breathing problems and headaches.
The smog created by the Canadian wildfires has caused a stark contrast to New York City’s typical air quality, which is usually categorized as safe per IQAir. The wildfires started from the east of Canada, affecting over 9.3 million acres of land.
Stephanie Abrams, the meteorologist for Weather Channel, said in an interview on Wednesday morning’s CBS Mornings that thick smog pollution is expected in the Midwest to the Northeast and possibly even into the South, continuing at least until Saturday.
“There are fires burning across Canada with over 9.3 million acres charred,” Abrams said. “From the Midwest to the Northeast and even into the South, there’s probably going to be thick smoke pollution at least until Saturday, particularly in the Northeast.”
According to the Canadian Government, in a statement released on Monday, June is predicted to have more extensive-than-normal fire activities due to warm temperatures and drought, mainly in most of its land.
With increasing dangerous fires due to climate change, the Canadian Government is developing a robust National Adaptation Strategy alongside both government and Indigenous groups, which will help in being prepared for the impact of climate change.
New York City’s striking skyline has been engulfed in a thick haze of smoke caused by ferocious wildfires in Canada, resulting in the high-rises and the Statue of Liberty no longer being prominent.
In just a few days, the Big Apple’s air quality has become one of the worst globally, with IQAir ranking the city’s air pollution and quality as the second-worst among 100 tracked countries, behind only Delhi, India.
The Swiss air quality technology company listed New York City as having an AQI of 160, which is unhealthy, and can result in health problems. Moreover, according to the National Weather Service, such air quality can be hazardous to anyone, particularly the elderly, children, and those who are immunocompromised. Essentially, all of New York State has been given health advisories.
According to IQAir, the particulate matter in the air of New York was 14.5 times higher than WHO’s air quality guideline and is expected to improve to at least a moderate level over the weekend. New York City has always had an AQI of under 50, classified as good by IQAir, in recent years. Strangely, Washington, D.C. has yet to be listed on the IQAir’s global air quality list, yet it has an AQI of 180, which is 22.3 times over the WHO’s guideline value and is just behind Delhi on the list.
The air quality in the nation’s capital is more harmful than New York City, according to the website of the government-run AirNow, with an AQI of 194 and is considered dangerous to anyone. Thus, the National Weather Service has cautioned that being exposed to such pollution levels can cause headaches, breathing difficulties, and more.
The excessive pollution caused by the wildfires can last for several days, and it adversely affects the elderly, children, and those who have weak immune systems. Due to the hazardous air conditions, health advisories for air quality have been issued throughout New York State.
The wildfires in Canada have drastically altered New York City’s typically safe air quality, according to IQAir. These wildfires ignited in the east of Canada, causing over 9.3 million acres of land to be burned.
According to CBS Mornings’ Stephanie Abrams, the smoke’s thick level of pollution is going to cause problems in the Midwest, Northeast and even the South through Saturday.
Last Monday, the Canadian government issued a statement warning of increased fire due to climate change as June has a greater risk of wildfire activities due to warm temperatures and drought-filled weather than normal. Despite the issue of increasing dangerous wildfires, the Canadian government, alongside several government agencies and Indigenous groups, is creating a fitting National Adaptation Strategy to prepare for the climate change impact.