Smoke and ash from Canada, New York suffocates in grayness

A gray blanket envelops New York. Smoke and ash from wildfires in Canada reach the Big Apple and much of the northeastern United States, where air quality alerts have been triggered for 100 million Americans. The emergency is acute in New York, where the AQI index has reached 342, a level considered "dangerous" for all residents, making the city the most polluted in the world. The thick haze that surrounds the Big Apple has hidden the sun and made the air so unbreathable that masks return, abandoned in the post pandemic: now they have reappeared in the streets among residents who try to put their nose and throat away from irritation. The worsening air quality we "are experiencing is an unprecedented event: stay indoors or wear a mask outdoors," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Governor Kathy Hochul echoed him: "We are in an emergency situation, if you can stay indoors." Schools in the Big Apple have suspended outdoor activities to protect children. Animal rights advocates have called on local authorities to stop carriages carrying tourists around Central Park to protect horses. The city's zoo has decided to close to protect the health of "visitors, staff and animals". At the city's airports, poor visibility due to haze is slowing down operations and delays are averaging an hour. "Limit exposure. This is not a good day to train for a marathon," Adams said, asking running enthusiasts not to celebrate Global Running Day outdoors. The New York Road Runner, the association that organizes the New York City Marathon, has canceled all events scheduled for World Running Day due to the blanket of ash and smoke that envelops the city and makes air quality the worst since 1960. But it is the entire northeast of the United States that is affected by the smoke and ashes coming from Canada. Outdoor activities have also been suspended in schools in Washington DC. In Philadelphia, health authorities urged citizens to "avoid excessive physical activity outdoors and, if possible, to use masks." Charlotte, North Carolina, has the worst air quality since 2016. And if millions of Americans are breathing hard, the situation is even worse for Canadians. Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are the cities that are paying the highest price of the hundreds of fires burning the country, with the situation not likely to improve anytime soon. The weather service has warned of a possible worsening in the coming days. The most at risk are the elderly, children and pregnant women. Hence the exhortation to stay indoors to avoid respiratory problems and excessive crowding of hospitals that, in recent days, have already recorded a record increase in requests for help for intoxication.