NEW YORK, the Martian-like orange sky that eerily stopped New York City’s busy streets last week may appear again this week.
The offender was discovered on Thursday when northerly winds pushed smoke from Canadian wildfires into the Upper Midwest. The FOX Forecast Center quotes forecast models saying it may turn back into the Great Lakes and Northeast by Friday.
According to the provincial fire agency, 107 fires were burning in Quebec on Thursday morning. There are now 63 active fires in northern Ontario.
According to a survey by IQAir, the New York metropolis’s air quality on June 7 was worse than that of any other large metropolis in the world, exceeding New Delhi, India. The city’s worst air quality readings were caused by the blanket of orange clouds hanging over the Big Apple, endangering millions of people.
The haze’s reduced vision also reduced the depth of field, obscuring a clearer perspective of Manhattan’s buildings behind a cloud of smoke.
As residents and visitors moved through Radio City Music Hall, the wildfire smoke on the ground changed the frantic city vistas into something almost surreal.
One of the worst fire seasons on record is currently occurring in Canada. 1995, when more than 17 million acres were burned, is the only year that has come close to matching it.
Although the fire season hasn’t peaked yet, the FOX Forecast Center reports that more than 11 million acres have burnt this year. As the year moves into the summer, the risky situation will probably worsen.
Poor air quality conditions can be deadly for many people, including older people and pets. Check out the forecast in the FOX Weather app to stay up to speed on regional air quality across the nation.
