The inhabitants of the American Midwest woke up again this Wednesday, June 28 in an air heavily polluted by the smoke from the fires in Canada, the second episode of air pollution linked to these fires this month in the United States.
In Chicago, the third most populous city in the country, the sky is gray for the second consecutive day, and some residents have put on masks to move around.
Twitter – Luke Kran on Twitter
The authorities have advised limiting the time spent outdoors, especially for children or pregnant women. Coincidentally, President Joe Biden arrived in Chicago on Wednesday to talk about the economy.
A “very harmful” level for health
Also in Detroit, the air pollution index of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates a level “very harmful” for health.
The smoke is expected to move east and reach the Washington area during the day or night, according to NASA air pollution scientist Ryan Stauffer. “One of these events in a year would be remarkable, but this will be our second in a month”he said on Twitter.
Twitter – Ryan Stauffer on Twitter
New York authorities also warned residents that the air quality would deteriorate on Wednesday and Thursday, and set up distributions of masks.
Air quality is also poor in Toronto on Wednesday, and is also expected to deteriorate sharply during the day in Ottawa, according to Canadian authorities.
Although a study assessing the direct link between climate change and these current fires has not yet been conducted, scientists insist that global warming, caused by human activities, generally exacerbates the risk of fires and their intensity.
During a particularly impressive first episode of air pollution at the beginning of the month, which affected the entire northeastern United States, US President Joe Biden judged that it was“a stark reminder of the consequences of climate change”.
The smoke even reaches Europe
On Monday, NASA said smoke from the Canadian fires had reached southwestern Europe. In particular, it published a satellite image showing a gray cloud over northern Spain and Portugal.
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But the quality of the air should however remain acceptable there, because the smoke is higher in the atmosphere when it arrives in Europe, specified NASA.
Some 500 wildfires are currently active in Canada, half of which are considered out of control. In particular, Quebec is experiencing a historic and particularly early fire season.
This crisis is likely to continue, because the peak of summer is far from being reached, and follows a very dry spring.
2023-06-28 17:59:55
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