NEW YORK (WABC) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires is enveloping the Tri-State area, leading to an air-quality alert that has been extended through the weekend.
“Air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, including older adults, children, and people with heart or lung conditions. You may notice a faint smell of smoke and visibility between 4 to 6 miles,” according to New York City Emergency Management. “Take precautions: Limit outdoor activity, close windows, use air purifiers if available, and consider wearing a high-quality mask if you must go outside and are in a sensitive group,”
The smoke is traveling down on northerly winds from Canada, which broke the heat of recent days but brought smoke from fires burning in Canadian forests.
Saturday’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached Level Orange (AQI between 101-150) – Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and may be unhealthy for those sensitive to air pollution (older adults over 65 or children younger than 14, pregnant individuals, outdoor workers, and those with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or respiratory issues such as asthma).
The smoke should remain thick into early Sunday, but there are signs the worst of it will blow into New England as the day progresses.
The risk of air quality-related health impacts from outdoor activities remains low for healthy people.
Adding to the trouble? The return of hot weather. A heat advisory has been issued for dangerous warmth arriving at the start of the work week. The advisory goes into effect at 11 am Monday and continues throught the next day, with heat-index values expected to reach 105.
Check the air quality in your area here.
DEC and DOH issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter (PM2.5), are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern.
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services was among the agencies urging residents to exercise care.
“Fine particles can travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure to fine particles can cause short-term health effects such as eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath. Exposure to fine particles can also affect lung function and worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease,” the agency said in a statement.
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