The sun is shrouded as it rises in a hazy, smoky sky behind the Empire State Building, One Vanderbilt and the Chrysler Building in New York City, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey, June 6, 2023.
Gary Hershorn | Corbis News | Getty Images
New York City has some of the worst air quality in the country this week because of smoke that has drifted south from wildfires burning in Canada.
The ratings for air quality levels across the five boroughs reached into the 150s Tuesday, according to the U.S. government online platform AirNow. Those levels are considered unhealthy for all people and significantly above exposure recommendations from the World Health Organization.
The sky over the city had an orange glow Tuesday morning and the sun was largely obscured by a smoky haze. Officials warned residents to limit time outdoors and emphasized people with respiratory illnesses or heart disease are especially vulnerable to the dangerous air quality conditions.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality health advisory Tuesday for New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens and Richmond counties and the surrounding suburbs.
The Staten Island Ferry moves past the Statue of Liberty on a hazy morning resulting from Canadian wildfires in New York City, June 6, 2023.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
Millions of people across the Midwest are also experiencing dangerous air quality conditions this week, with air quality advisories in effect in southeastern Minnesota, parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and areas in Wisconsin. Air quality alerts have also been posted across most of New England.
Canada is set to experience its worst-ever wildfire season as blazes are forecast to continue through August, officials said Monday. There are currently 413 active wildfires across nearly all Canadian provinces and territories, and roughly 26,000 people are under evacuation orders. Federal officials said last week that wildfires have burned more than 6.7 million…
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