Smoke hits US East Coast

SGGPO 06/08/2023 12:00

The East Coast of the United States is engulfed in thick smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Canada.

New York City engulfed in smog

Schools across the East Coast have canceled outdoor activities and millions of people have been advised to stay indoors as the smog spreads. Health authorities from New York and Vermont to South Carolina and as far west as Ohio and Kansas have warned that breathing outdoor air can cause respiratory problems due to high levels of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere.

The skies over New York and many other cities are turning a hazy, orange-yellow color. The air smells like burnt wood. New York Governor Kathy Hochul called it an “urgent crisis” because air pollution readings in parts of the state were higher than normal.

According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) website Airnow, in some areas, the AQI—a measure of pollutants including particulate matter produced by fires—is higher than 400, surpassing 100, which is considered unsafe, and 300, which is hazardous.

Reduced visibility due to the smog forced the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce flight traffic into the New York City and Philadelphia areas from other areas on the East Coast and Midwest. Flights were delayed by an average of about half an hour.

Wildfires in Canada

The air pollution comes from smoke from hundreds of wildfires that have burned across the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia in recent weeks. The fires have burned 9 million hectares of forest and forced 120,000 people to flee their homes, according to CNN.

Experts warn that wildfire smoke has been linked to higher rates of heart attacks and strokes, increased emergency room visits for asthma and other respiratory conditions, eye irritation, skin rashes and other problems. According to AccuWeather, the poor air quality conditions are expected to persist through the weekend.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/khoi-mu-tan-cong-bo-dong-nuoc-my-post692906.html