‘Apocalyptic’ photos capture smoky haze blanketing New York City as moon turns red and air alerts raised

Residents in masks, hazy skies and blood moon, scenes from New York show the impact of plummeting air quality

The skies across the northeastern United States, including New York were engulfed by smoke flowing from Canada as roughly 400 wildfires continue to rage in the country.

New York City was the world’s most polluted major city on Wednesday, surpassing Delhi, Baghdad, Kuwait and Dhaka, according to ratings by IQAir, a Swiss technology company that monitors air quality.

The worst impact of the pollution was visible in the tri-state area where visibility plummeted and skies turned hazy. The sun and the moon were also blotted to a deep orange by the smoky conditions.

The air quality advisories cover large parts of northern South Carolina, much of North Carolina, New York, northern Virginia, much of Maryland, Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and western New Hampshire.

Climate scientists agree: although fires are part of the ecosystem in some regions, the climate crisis is making them more frequent and intense.Dozens of studies have linked larger wildfires to global heating that is caused by emissions from burning of fossil fuels.

Here are some of the pictures that show the Big Apple’s skyline covered in smoke and haze:

People attend a morning yoga class on The Edge observation deck as a haze caused by smoke from wildfires burning in Canada hangs over Manhattan (EPA)

The Manhattan skyline is seen covered in haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada on June 7, 2023 (REUTERS)

A man walks amid polluted air in New York City, United States (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The sun rises over a hazy New York City skyline as seen from Jersey City on Wednesday (AP)

Briefly on Tuesday, New York City’s air quality index stood at 174 on Wednesday, which is considered “very unhealthy”.

A view of polluted air in New York City, United States on June (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Buildings in Jersey City are partially obscured by smoke (Patrick Sison)

Worsening air quality has prompted health alerts in New York and Quebec with officials warning people about the impact of fine particles known as PM2.5, which can lead to respiratory illnesses.

Officials have urged New Yorkers to wear a mask when stepping outside. This is the first time in recent years that air quality levels have led to a mask advisory.

People ride with masks as air quality remains poor in New York City, United States (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

(AP)

At least 10 school districts in New York cancelled outdoor activities, including recess and gym classes.

A man sits in the bus stop with a mask on his face in New York City, United States on 6 June 2023 (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The moon turned red for residents in the northeastern US, an occurrence directly linked to smoke drifting down from the Canadian wildfires as it appears behind grey, hazy skies.

The sun over New York City takes on a red appearance on a hazy morning resulting from Canadian wildfires (Getty Images)

A view of the sun which was turned red due to the fire fumes in the atmosphere (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Satellite images show thick smoke cover extending across the northeastern US, as far as the Carolinas.

Smoke from wildfires burning in Quebec, Canada, top centre, drifts southward (CIRA/NOAA/AP)

Canada is currently facing one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, with over 6.7 million acres already scorched since this year’s start.

A firefighter directs water on a grass fire on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, British Columbia (AP)

Fires have forced about 10,000 people from their homes in Quebec, with most of those in the northwestern Abitibi region and the eastern Côte-Nord region.

A firefighter directs water on a grass fire on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, British Columbia (A)

No one has died in the Quebec fires, but crews were forced to pull back from the hamlet of Clova around 200 miles northwest of Montreal.