Global Courant
The thick, dangerous haze covering the Northeast, disrupting the daily lives of millions of people in the US and Canada, could last into the weekend, a US National Weather Service meteorologist said.
The weather system driving out the big Canada-American smoke, a low-pressure system over Maine and Nova Scotia, “is likely to stick around for at least the next few days,” said meteorologist Bryan Ramsey of the U.S. National Weather Service.
“Conditions are likely to remain unhealthy, at least until the wind direction changes or the fires are extinguished,” Ramsey said. “As the fires are raging — they’re very big — they’re likely to go on for weeks. But it’s really all about the wind shift.”
“Conditions are likely to remain unhealthy, at least until the wind direction changes or the fires are extinguished.”
People take photos as smoke from the Canada wildfires creates hazy conditions in New York City on June 7, 2023. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
The weather system is expected to barely budge, the smoky blanket billowing from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia sending plumes of particulate matter as far as South Carolina.
The dystopian-looking haze that blankets bustling metropolises like New York City has shrouded the city in a yellow and orange haze, as residents resort to wearing pandemic-era masks to hold back thick smoke.
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Health officials from Vermont to South Carolina and as far west as Ohio and Kansas are warning residents that spending time outdoors can cause respiratory problems due to high levels of fine particles in the atmosphere.
In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser has ordered schools to cancel outdoor recess, sports and field trips on Thursday. In a Philadelphia suburb, officials have set up an emergency shelter so people living outside can shelter from the haze.
An orange-colored smog caused by wildfires in Canada clung to New York on Wednesday, obscuring its famous skyscrapers and forcing residents to wear face masks as cities along the U.S. East Coast issued air quality warnings. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
People take photos of the sun as smoke from the Canada wildfires creates hazy conditions in New York City on June 7, 2023. Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has engulfed the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the US, raising concerns about the damage from continued poor air quality. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the situation an “emergency crisis.”
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The normal air quality index is 50. However, in parts of New York on Wednesday, June 7, the air quality index was almost 8 times the normal level – to more than 400.
The Lower Manhattan skyline is seen passing by pedestrians as smoke from wildfires in Canada creates hazy conditions in New York City on June 7, 2023. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
More than 400 fires across Canada have displaced 20,000 people. The US has sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada. Other countries are also helping.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke by phone with President Joe Biden on Wednesday. Trudeau’s office said he thanked Biden for his support and that both leaders “recognized the need to work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change.”
Global Courant
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a writer on Fox News Digital’s breaking news team. You can reach her on Twitter at @s_rumpfwhiteten.
