It’s going to get hazier before it gets better.

The Big Apple is under an Air Quality Health Advisory as the Canadian and Great Lakes wildfire smoke slowly takes over our skies.

The air pollution reached “Unhealthy” levels of air quality Wednesday afternoon — exceeding what officials had previously predicted, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management.

A hazy sunrise over Manhattan on July 15, 2026 as Canadian wildfire smoke engulfs New York City. Getty Images

The visible smoke from the fires has been traveling through the Empire State, turning the bright blue skies into a pale haze.

The Air Quality Index (API) reached 151-200 Wednesday afternoon, levels at which officials warn “all New Yorkers” to stay inside and limit outside activity.

Earlier in the day, the AQI was between 101 and 150.

Although the AQI climbed, it is still a far cry away from the harrowing 465 “Hazardous” peak that turned the metro skies orange during the June 2023 Canadian wildfires.

A woman using an umbrella to shield herself from the sun while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on July 15, 2026. REUTERS

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires covering Manhattan on June 7, 2023. Brian Zak for NY Post

However, this year’s smoke event coincides with an ongoing heat wave, with temperatures expected to near 100 degrees throughout the Big Apple Wednesday.

The city also issued a heat advisory and activated its heat emergency plan — however, if the smoke continues to grow thicker, it could bring temperatures down by blocking the sun’s intense rays.

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The NYCEM warned that any ground-level impacts are still uncertain, but that the air quality could trigger health issues, especially for those suffering from lung diseases such as asthma.

“Every New Yorker has a different risk profile, and this week you need to know yours,” NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell said Tuesday. “If you’re sensitive to air quality, don’t remain in a space without air conditioning or filtration.”

A wildfire surrounding a train in Ontario, Canada on July 14, 2026. X / @solmamakwa

Wildfire smoke seen over the Toronto skyline on July 15, 2026. REUTERS

“And if you’re in a population vulnerable to heat, older adults, young children, people with chronic conditions, take the heat seriously too,” Farrell added. “In both cases, you should get to a cool indoor space, and if you don’t have one at home, a cooling center is open near you.”

So far, at least 17 wildfires have eaten thousands of acres across Minnesota –– the five largest of which have consumed at least 30,000 acres, officials said.

Canada is suffering its own swath of fires after two of the largest US flames — the Bear Trap and Thumb fires — jumped the border.