The smoke from horrendous Canadian wildfires has caused major problems across eastern United States today - prompting air quality warnings for millions of people.
About 98 million people were placed under air quality alerts this morning for hazardous smog caused by extensive smoke from over 400 Canadian wildfires.
New York City's iconic skyline is obscured by a dense haze, and an eerie red hue engulfed the moon on Tuesday evening.
The Federal Aviation Administration halted all flights bound for New Yorkâs LaGuardia airport due to to the smoke.
The Air Quality Index score skyrocketed past 200, reaching "very unhealthy" levels, leading Mayor Eric Adams to urge residents to stay indoors and minimize exposure.
Firefighters offered £1,000 a shift to cross picket line during upcoming strikes
New Yorkers have donned masks in scenes reminiscent of the pandemic.
Wednesday marked the second day of the smog crisis, after smoke from Canadaâs enormous and early-season wildfires drifted south across more than a dozen US states late on Tuesday into Wednesday, putting more than 50 million people under air quality alerts.
The dire situation extends beyond New York City, as over 100 million people across more than a dozen US states are under air quality alerts due to the ongoing crisis.
Thank you for following our live blog below for the latest updates. Have you been affected by the smog? Get in touch on [email protected]
We're rounding off this blog with an alert from the National Weather Service forecasters expect "not a great deal" of air quality improvement heading into tomorrow as thick smoke continues to engluf major cities.
The weather service has shared a map showing that air quality will be particularly poor in New York, the mid-Atlantic region and parts of the Midwest, including swaths of Indiana and Ohio.
Delivery drivers have been told they can avoid the most smog-filled parts of their cities without facing any consequences
US firm Grubhub says it has alerted drivers that they would not be penalised "for opting out of blocks if they do not feel safe completing deliveries."
It comes as residents with pre-existing conditions have been warned to stay inside
Tonight's Minnesota Lynx v. New York Liberty game is expected to be cancelled due to poor air quality in NYC, according to Just Women's Sports' Rachel Galligan.
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The Liberty play their home games inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the game was scheduled for 7pm.
John F Kennedy Airport is currently experiencing arrival and departure delays due to low visibility caused by smoke conditions in the region.
"Please check with your airline to determine the status of your flight and allow extra travel time to the airport", a spokesperson said this afternoon at around 3.30pm.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted the ground stop for all flights destined for New York's LaGuardia Airport, although certain flights are still being delayed on the ground.
Delays are also affecting Newark International Airport and Philadelphia, with an average delay time of approximately 30 minutes.
People have been warned to stay indoors and wear a mask if they do need or choose to go outside (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)New York zoos will close early today due to the smoke.
A spokesperson said: "We have been monitoring the rising air quality index & will close the WCS parks: Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, NY Aquarium, at 3pm today out of concern for our staff, visitors and animals. Thank you for understanding."
New York City zoos will close at 3pm today 'out of concerns for our staff, visitors and animals,' (Islam Dogru/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Meanwhile, the matinee performance of the Broadway production "Prima Facie" faced a temporary interruption today when Emmy-winning actor Jodie Comer, the show's star, encountered breathing difficulties.
According to a spokeswoman from The Press Room, a theater publicity firm, the performance came to a halt around 10 minutes in as a result of the poor air quality.
The spokeswoman said the performance was set to start again "from the top".
A video posted online shows a time lapse of the New York skyline being 'consumed' by the wildlife smoke.
The video, posted by The National Weather Service, shows the World Trade Centre, 'disappear' in just a three hour time span, from 11am to 2pm.
“Those vulnerable to poor air quality, including seniors and young children, should limit time outdoors if possible,” NWS said.
Check out this almost unbelievable time-lapse of wildfire smoke consuming the World Trade Center and the New York City skyline.
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) June 7, 2023
Those vulnerable to poor air quality, including seniors and young children, should limit time outdoors if possible.
More: https://t.co/ChRuWv7X6E pic.twitter.com/mtKtLun8lN
New York City claims the undesirable title of having the world's poorest air quality, as indicated by an Air Quality Index (AQI).
It recorded a rating of 342 on the index at 2pm local time on Wednesday.
This "hazardous" level of air pollution, as reported by IQAir, surpasses even notoriously affected cities like New Delhi in India, which ranked second with an AQI of 190.
Toronto also faces concerning air quality, ranking fourth with an AQI of 160.
The current air quality in New York City hit more than 340 on the air quality index scale (IQAir)A New Yorker has taken to social media to say he feels 'smacked' by skyrocketing Uber prices as people attempt to flee the smog-filled city.
Someone who goes by @oldmanebro on Twitter, wrote: "Meanwhile @Uber in NYC is smacking people" alongside a screeshot of a journey which had an estimated price of over $100.
In the replies, another Twitter user simply wrote: "Smoke surge".
Smoke Surge. https://t.co/0tY9HZMqPz
— djyounglegend (@djyounglegend) June 7, 2023
The FAA is now slowing traffic from the East Coast and Midwest bound for Philadelphia International Airport due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke
Earlier, the FAA slowed traffic to and from New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke
Newark Liberty International Airport tweeted that “current smoke condition may impact your travel, please check with your airline to determine the status of your flight.” The FAA said it was slowing flights to Newark.
The smoke taking over swaths of the U.S. is coming from Canada, where more than 400 wildfires are burning.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair called the situation “serious” and described images of the wildfire season “the most severe we have ever witnessed in Canada.”
On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams blamed climate change for the yellow skies.
"This may be the first time we've experienced something like this on this magnitude,' he said. 'Let me be clear, it's not the last.
"Climate change is accelerating these conditions. We must continue to draw down emissions, improve air quality and build resiliency."
Climate change is increasing the impact of wildfires in Canada, according to the 2019 Canada’s Changing Climate Report.
It states that it is not neccessarily that climate change is increasing the number of fires, but the intensity and size of them due to more windy and hot days creating the optimal environment for fires to spread.
(AP)The air quality in New York City was the fourth-worst in the world at 7am this morning, behind only Delhi, India; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Toronto, according to IQAir.com, a tracking service.
It comes as more than 400 wildfires are burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fires Centre.
In Quebec, more than 150 forest fires were burning yesterday, with more than 110 considered out of control.
The FAA took steps to limit air traffic around New York City, temporarily grounding flights at LaGuardia Airport.
A Circle Line ferry sails past the Williamsburg Bridge as the Manhattan skyline is shrouded in smoke from Canada wildfires (NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx)
