Wildfire smoke leaves 100 million under air quality alerts as nine Texas prison inmates die in heatwave
People living in the Midwest and Northeast were warned of a worsening air quality index throughout the week due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires
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Your support makes all the difference.The US is currently battling extreme weather events, with millions of people under air quality alerts across the Midwest and Northeast while southern states including Texas are battling dangerous heatwaves.
Smoke from more than 500 wildfires burning in Canada is blanketing large areas across the country and causing “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” air quality conditions for residents.
As of early Friday morning, more than 100 million people were under air quality alerts.
Toronto had the worst air quality in the world of all major cities, followed by Washington DC, according to IQAir.
Meanwhile, almost 60 million people were under heat alerts on Wednesday as “dangerous” temperatures continued to grip southern states and parts of Mexico.
The relentless, triple-digit heatwave – exacerbated by the climate crisis – entered its third week. The severe conditions have caused 13 deaths in Texas and led to a spike in emergency room attendance across the state.
At least nine inmates – including two men in their 30s – in Texas prisons have died of heart attacks or unknown causes since the start of the sweltering heatwave.
Voices: Welcome to the apocalyptic haze of the new abnormal. There is nowhere left to hide
Voices: “We know that a hotter climate has increased fire weather – hotter, drier conditions that lead to larger, more intense wildfires. But there’s another more subtle and specific way that human-caused warming is implicated in the current Canadian fires.”
“There’s an extreme, slow, wavy jet stream pattern now over North America, leading to an extended period of unusually dry weather over parts of Ontario and Quebec, which has favored the development of these wildfires. This wavy pattern dips far north and south, meandering like a river, with a huge dip from eastern Canada down into the eastern United States.”
“This stuck jet stream pattern is responsible for both the dry conditions in eastern Canada and the wind patterns that are transporting the wildfire smoke toward us in the United States.”
Susan Joy Hassol and Michael E Mann write:
Welcome to the apocalyptic haze of the new abnormal | Michael E. Mann
The current wildfires are a preview of far worse things to come, write climate experts, Susan Joy Hassol and Professor Michael E. Mann
The predicted smoke forecast for Thursday, 28 June
Airnow.gov has released a map showing the predicted smoke forecast for Thursday, 28 June.
Wind patterns could change the direction of the smoke.
New York set to be hit with dire air quality again as Canadian wildfire smoke rages on
The air quality in New York is set to “deteriorate very quickly” over the next 48 hours as smoke from the Canadian wildfires shifts over the state.
NY Governor Kathy Hochul warned residents that air quality could reach “unhealthy” levels in some parts of the state on Wednesday.
Gov. Hochul advised high-risk groups – children, senior citizens, pregnant women, elderly persons, or people with respiratory disorders – to remain indoors as the smoke descends on New York.
“We’re also giving alerts to people about outdoor workers, making sure supervisors know it is not recommended unless people are wearing masks,” she said.
Maanya Sachdeva reports:
Canada wildfires set to cause ‘unhealthy’ air quality levels in New York again
New York City was blanketed in thick smoke earlier this month
The wildfires burning in Canada right now
There have been 2,982 fires so far this year in Canada, destroying more than 30,000 square miles - an area twice the size of Switzerland.
The fires caused air quality to plummet across large parts of the US and Canada this week.
Air quality ranged from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” in the Midwest with Chicago ranking number one in worst air quality in the world on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, winds were pushing the smoke towards the east coast with New York City expected to be most severely impacted on Thursday.
So far, the smoke is yet to reach levels seen earlier this month when plumes darkened skies and made it difficult to breathe in at least 20 states and large parts of Canada.
Hundreds of wildfires are burning across the breadth of Canada this week as air quality plummeted.
The Independent reports:
How the Canadian wildfires?
While Canada is no stranger to wildfires across its vast expanses of forest, tundra and grassland, the country is experiencing an increasingly extreme wildfire season between May and October due to the climate crisis.
Wildfires are just one in a series of interlinked maladies caused by the climate crisis. The rising global temperature, driven by emissions from burning fossil fuels, is making droughts more severe.
The provinces of Alberta, Quebec and Saskatchewan have experienced abnormal to severe drought conditions since April, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor.
The unusually dry conditions make vegetation, soil and trees more susceptible to burning which can escalate wildfires quickly.
Lightning strikes, people improperly disposing of flammable items like cigarettes or improper campfire extinguishing can cause quick and intense fires.
Air quality alert in effect for New York today
An air quality alert is in effect for New York City and the tri-state area today as smoke from the Canadian wildfires is moving slowly toward the north and east.
New York City issued a health advisory for “all regions across the state”.
Chicago air quality unhealthy as Canadian wildfire emissions reach record levels and send smoke to Europe
The air quality in Chicago has reached unhealthy levels as the city is affected by the smoke coming from the wildfires in Canada, where record-beating emissions are leading to the smoke travelling all the way across the North Atlantic and reaching Europe.
The smoke is leading to hazy conditions in the Windy City on Tuesday, with the air quality now considered unhealthy for everyone, not just those with respiratory conditions.
AirNow.gov recommends that people with lung or heart disease, as well as the elderly, teenagers, and children, reduce their exposure to the air by avoiding laborious outdoor activities, limiting time spent outside by considering moving outdoor activities inside or rescheduling for another time when the air quality has improved.
Gustaf Kilander reports:
Chicago air quality unhealthy as Canadian wildfire emissions reach record levels
Increasing wildfire intensity in Canada leads to smoke travelling across North Atlantic and reaching Europe
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