On Tuesday (6), the New York metropolitan area was filled with smoke from the wildfires that spread across Canada. Today (7), the city’s skyline became more orange and with a strong smell of burnt wood. In the province of Quebec alone, which is in upstate New York, 160 wildfires are burning right now, with a total of 114 of them out of control.
In a statement to the press, the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, warned about the danger of poor air quality and asked city residents to avoid outdoor activities as much as possible. He also asked New Yorkers to wear a mask. Today, in the streets of the city, most people covered their faces, scenes that had not been seen since the beginning of last year.
Forest fires in Canada take over the city of New York, in the United States; East Coast cities issue air quality warnings / ANGELA WEISS / AFP
This Wednesday, according to IQair, which monitors air quality in the main cities of the world, New York was at the top of the list of the worst quality. The city is also the only one in the “dangerous” classification of the measurement. The problem is even greater for those who suffer from some type of respiratory disease, which according to the American Lung Association represents more than 10% of the US population.
Another group that can suffer from very low air quality are those who do not have health insurance. According to the City Hall, approximately 20% of New Yorkers do not have any type of health insurance.
According to meteorologists, as long as the situation is not controlled in Canada, the smoke will continue to reach New York in waves. During today’s late afternoon, the smoke level moderately decreased, but tends to increase during the night and Thursday morning. Expert forecasts indicate that another wave should arrive next Friday.
Editing: Patricia de Matos
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
