New York expects air quality to deteriorate, says Hochul
New York expects air quality in the state to deteriorate today and Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
An air quality health advisory for fine particulate matter was issued Tuesday for western New York, central New York and eastern Lake Ontario for Wednesday, with additional impacts expected Thursday, his office said. Announced.
“Smoke from the Canadian wildfires is forecast to significantly affect air quality throughout New York,” Hochul said. “We continue to closely monitor conditions and will distribute masks in smoke-affected regions. I encourage all New Yorkers to keep up with the latest information and take the appropriate steps to protect your health.»
Hochul has ordered the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to alert affected communities via a wireless emergency alert system in case «Very Unhealthy» or «Dangerous» levels are reached, his office said.
Transportation agencies and authorities have also been ordered to provide warnings on public transportation and on variable message signs along highways, with N-95-style masks to be made available to New Yorkers across the state, he said.
Photo: Wildfire smoke engulfs Wrigley Field
Fans watch a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs as smoke from the Canadian wildfires engulfs Wrigley Field in Chicago on Tuesday.
Poor air quality could last for days
The northern part of the US, near the Great Lakes, could experience poor air quality for «the next few days» thanks to a low pressure system, the National Weather Service warned Tuesday.
The forecast area of low pressure «will harness smoke from the ongoing wildfires in south central Canada, sending it south in a counterclockwise direction,» the weather service said. in a forecast discussion.
Health officials in affected areas issued air quality alerts on Tuesday. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued an air quality advisory through midnight Wednesday night, and Wisconsin’s air quality advisory lasts through noon Thursday.
Millions of people will wake up Wednesday to poor air quality as smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to blanket Chicago, Detroit and much of the Great Lakes region.
Detroit had the world’s second-worst air quality, second only to Dubai, since early Wednesday morning, according to the monitoring service. iqair.com. Chicago had the third worst air quality.
Meanwhile, the major Canadian city of Toronto, which is about 230 miles northeast of Detroit, had the fourth worst air quality in the world, according to iqair.com.
The situation prompted the National Weather Service to issue air quality watches for northeast Illinois, northwest Indiana and all of southeast Michigan for Tuesday and Wednesday.