People in New York City are waking up to a disturbing sight today as a thick, smoky haze has enveloped the city, prompting concerns about air quality and public health.
A thick reddish haze can be seen circling many of the cities landmarks this morning, including the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge and much of the NYC skyline.
As a result an Air Quality Health Advisory has been put into effect for several regions, including Long Island, New York City Metro, Lower Hudson Valley, Upper Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, Eastern Lake Ontario, and Central New York.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued the advisory, urging residents, particularly active children, adults, and individuals with respiratory conditions like asthma, to reduce prolonged or intense physical activity outdoors.
Officials said that the haze in the air is caused by smoke from more than 400 wildfires in Canada.
Smoke from Canada's wildfires have been moving into the United States since last month, but it’s only recently been noticeable in most places.
The most recent fires near Quebec have been burning for at least several days.
Mayor Eric Adams urged people in NYC with heart or breathing issues to limit outdoor activities to the "absolute necessities."
In a tweet, he said: "If you're a New Yorker with heart or breathing issues, be careful when you're outdoors today.
"Smoke from wildfires in Canada is impacting our city's air, so an Air Quality Health Advisory has been issued.
"Try to limit your outdoor activities today to the absolute necessities."
Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health also announced an update on the impact of the ongoing Canadian wildfires on New York's air quality.
It was stated that the haze currently experienced across much of the state is a result of the wildfires raging in Quebec.
"When many New Yorkers walked outside today, the hazy skies caused by wildfire smoke were hard to miss," Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
"New York State experts are monitoring our air quality every day to ensure New Yorkers have the latest information about current air quality in their communities and what they can do to protect themselves.
"I encourage New Yorkers, especially those sensitive to air quality, to take appropriate steps to help limit risk of exposure."
The smoky haze that hung over New York City much of the day Tuesday thickened in the late afternoon, obscuring views of New Jersey across the Hudson River and making the setting sun look like a reddish orb.
In the Philadelphia area, dusk brought more of a lavender haze.
Sal and Lilly Murphy, of Brooklyn, likened the burning scent to a campfire, saying they could even smell the smoke indoors, in a Manhattan restaurant, then walked outside and saw a sky that looked like it was about to storm — but was rainless.
Lilly wore a mask for protection. “It’s a little scary,” Sal Murphy said.
Darren Austin, a meteorologist and senior air quality specialist with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, said that it was not uncommon for their area to experience fire smoke.
He added that this phenomenon was quite typical in terms of northwest Canada.
He further stated that usually, the smoke remained aloft and did not have any adverse effects on people's health.
