The New York City skyline remained hidden behind a haze Wednesday morning, as air quality in the city—which canceled all outdoor activities for local schools—fell to “unhealthy” levels caused by smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires.
The sun rises over a hazy New York City skyline.
The National Weather Service issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for New York City, recommending residents consider “limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity” while cautioning people with preexisting respiratory conditions.
The Environmental Protection Agency also warned of the city’s “unhealthy” air quality caused by fine particulate matter—a result of the wildfire smoke—suggesting residents shorten their time outdoors.
Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday the city was “taking precautions out of an abundance of caution” and recommended residents remain indoors “to the greatest extent possible.”
The city was briefly the most-polluted city in the world Wednesday, according to air quality tracker IQAir, though Detroit and Delhi, India, have since overtaken it.
General view of hazy conditions resulting from Canadian wildfires at Yankee Stadium.
General view of hazy conditions at Yankee Stadium.
The Manhattan skyline stands shrouded in a reddish haze.
The Statue of Liberty stands shrouded in a reddish haze.
Manhattan is enveloped in a dense haze caused by wildfires in Canada.
Manhattan is enveloped in a dense haze caused by wildfires in Canada.
Buildings in lower Manhattan in New York are partially obscured by smoke from Canadian wildfires.
4.2 million. That’s how many premature deaths worldwide are caused by exposure to fine particulate matter per year, according to World Health Organization data from 2019.
A series of forest fires in the Canadian province of Quebec has resulted in air quality alerts across several states in the Northeast, including New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire, according to the National Weather Service. Alerts have also been issued for other states, including North Carolina and South Carolina. There are 418 active fires across Canada as of Wednesday morning, according to the Canadian Interagency Fire Center. The fires have caused 26,000 people across Canada to evacuate their homes, according to officials.
New York Becomes World’s Most Polluted City As Canadian Wildfires Cause ‘Unhealthy’ Air Quality (Forbes)