The National Weather Service announced on Tuesday that New York City currently has the most severe air quality of any major city worldwide due to the fires in Canada. At 11:30 AM IST, the air quality levels in New York reached 173 US AQI, which is considered unhealthy for everyone and significantly exceeds the exposure limit set by the World Health Organization.
New York City Most Polluted
IQAir reported that New York City had the most significant air pollution levels among major cities worldwide on Wednesday morning, surpassing even New Delhi, India. The cities that ranked higher than New Delhi in terms of Air Quality Index (AQI) were Kuwait City, Detroit, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Baghdad, and Dhaka.
Here is a comprehensive list of cities ranked according to their air quality and pollution levels, based on the US AQI data provided by IQAir. This list is generated using measured PM 2.5 data, and the rankings are regularly updated on an hourly basis.
For more than a week, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions have experienced periodic episodes of smoke and haze due to the fires in Canada. This situation has raised concerns about the potential harm caused by prolonged exposure to polluted air. Social media circulated videos depicting the skies in New York State filled with dense smoke, which alarmed the local residents.
Canada Burns
In Canada, wildfires have been devastating western Quebec and northern Ontario, leading to hazardous air quality levels in Ottawa, the capital city.
Environment Canada reported that the severity of the situation has exceeded the maximum risk level on their scale, indicating a significant threat. They issued a warning, stating that the forest fires may continue to create hazardous conditions for an extended period.
