From Maryland to the Canadian capital, a huge cloud of smoke caused by wildfires in Quebec, Canada, forced children to stay indoors, canceled flights in New York and left millions of residents breathing polluted air.
More than 75 million people in the eastern United States are concerned about air quality due to smoke.
From the northeastern part of the United States across the Atlantic to the state of Carolina, strongest smoke appearance is expected to in the following days. Polluted air in these regions could last for the next few days.
From Wednesday evening, the major metro areas such as Philadelphia, Jersey City, New Jersey, New Haven, Connecticut, had air quality indices ranging from 200 to 300 — considered “very unhealthy,” according to the government’s website AirNow.gov.
On Wednesday, at 5 p.m., New York City had an AQI of 484 which is classified as “hazardous”, said Mayor Eric Adams. That’s the highest level in the city since the 1960s, he said.
“It is difficult to predict the movement of the smoke. This is an unpredictable series of events, and we cannot provide prediction for more than a day in advance at this time.”
Officials recommend using the fire and smoke map to monitor air quality. Smoke levels can change quickly and significantly throughout the day.
Interactive map for monitoring air quality in USA
Philadelphia last week had issued a “code red” alert, warning that certain residents should stay indoors.
Elderly people, young children and pregnant women or those that have heart or lung disease can experience serious health problems from the smoke, said a spokesman for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, James Garrow.
