Smog Alert: New York Among World’s Most Polluted Cities Due to Canada Wildfires

For the second day in a row, major cities in the eastern United States are shrouded in orange haze. Smoke from wildfires in Canada is sweeping across much of the North American continent and parts of Mexico. In some places the air quality is worse than yesterday.

New York today has the most polluted air of any city in the world. A US air quality index shows that the air in many cities in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware is classified as ‘unhealthy’ and even ‘dangerous’. In Toronto and the Canadian capital Ottawa, the skyline is barely visible. Mouth caps from corona time are back in the streets.

In Washington DC, the situation seems to be deteriorating, American media write. The smoke is more visible and you smell it more, the mayor of the city agrees. “This problem is likely to get worse towards Friday. We urge residents to take precautions.”

Health authorities in the US advise people to stay indoors as much as possible. Breathing the outside air can lead to breathing problems due to the large amounts of particulate matter in the air. “You should not go for a walk outside. You should not walk around with the stroller. That is not safe,” said the governor of New York state.

Sports competitions and outdoor activities have been canceled on a large scale in several states. Schools keep students inside. Several theater performances were canceled on Broadway in New York last night.

Air traffic is also affected by the polluted air. Fewer planes can land at LaGuardia and Newark airports and in Philadelphia due to poor visibility.

In Canada, some 400 fires have destroyed nearly 4 million hectares of forest. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated. The US has sent 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada to assist its northern neighbors with firefighting efforts. South Africa also supplies firefighters.

It doesn’t look like the necessary rain is coming anytime soon to help extinguish the fires. “The weather situation offers little improvement until the weekend,” says NOS weatherman Marco Verhoef. “During the course of Saturday and Sunday, some rain may fall in the areas where the fires are, but not substantially. Across the border, around New York, more rain seems to be coming next week. If that happens, basically get rid of the smoke.”

The wind is now also spreading the smoke from North America via Greenland and Iceland to northern Europe. The Norwegian authorities expect the smoke to reach the country today. There are no health risks for the time being, reports the Norwegian research institute for climate and environment NILU. “We can probably see and smell some of the smoke. But the particles in the polluted air here in Norway are not big enough to be harmful.”