This is the second episode of air pollution in UNITED STATES because fires ravaging Canada. The inhabitants of the American Midwest were once again plunged into air heavily polluted by smoke on Wednesday. AT Chicagothe third largest city in the country, the sky is gray for the second day in a row and some residents have put on masks to move around.
“One of these events in the year would already be remarkable, but this will be our second in a month”, underlined on Twitter Ryan Stauffer, scientist of the Nasa specializing in air pollution.
Joe Biden lands in the fog
Chance of the calendar, the president Joe Biden flew to Chicago on Wednesday to talk about the economy. If he did not mention the subject of the fires, his plane landed in a thick layer of smoke and fog. The authorities have advised limiting the time spent outdoors, especially for children or pregnant women.
Also in Detroit or Indianapolis, the index of pollution of the United States Air Protection Agencyenvironment (EPA) indicates a level “very harmful” to health. The smoke is gradually moving east and began to reach the Washington area by midday. A dusty air, and with a slightly acrid smell, came to spoil a day which promised to be sunny in the American capital.
Blame it on global warming?
At the beginning of the month, a particularly impressive first episode of air pollution affected the entire northeastern United States. Images of New York bathed in orange light made headlines. New York authorities have also set up mask distributions this week, but the city is spared for the moment.
A study assessing the direct link between these current fires and climate change has not yet been conducted. But scientists insist that the global warmingcaused by human activities, as a rule exacerbates the risk of fires and their intensity.
Not less than 500 fires in Canada
On Monday, NASA said smoke from the Canadian fires had even reached southwestern Europe. In particular, it published a satellite image showing a gray cloud above the north of theSpain a you Portugal. However, the air quality should remain acceptable there, because the smoke is higher in the atmosphere when it arrives in EuropeNASA said.
Some 500 forest fires are currently active in Canada, half of which are considered out of control. THE Québec in particular, there is 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.
Heat wave
At the same time, a vast heat wave continues to overwhelm the southern United States. It particularly affects the Texas for days, but continues to move eastward, hitting the Mississippi Valley region hard.
While this episode of extreme temperatures is particularly long, the danger, especially for fragile populations, is increased by prolonged exposure, warned the American meteorological services.
2023-06-29 10:02:36
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