The air quality is dropping as Canadian wildfire smoke moves across the Midwest
The Smoke from the Canadian Wildfires: Air Quality Warnings and a Climate Alert for the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, according to NASA Satellite Photos
NASA released satellite photos on Monday showing a smoke and soot cloud from Quebec across the Atlantic Ocean.
The smoke that reached Europe seems to be hanging higher in the air than it was in the U.S., according to climate agencies.
The smoke is high in the sky and may make for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets in the next few days, the Met Office urged Britons to keep their phones handy.
Millions of people along the East Coast were under air quality warnings earlier this month, when smoke from the Canadian wildfires floated over cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Canada is currently experiencing over 500 wildfires, and more than half of them are out of control according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. In the second half of June, there were around 450 fires.
“So far this year, the amount of land that’s burned is 10 times greater than what’s been typical in the last few decades.”
The smoke has also posed a recurring risk to people in the far northeastern U.S., depending on wind and other conditions. The air quality alert for Sunday was issued by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
Studies have shown that wildfires in the U.S. are growing in frequency, length and size due in part to climate change, and the United Nations says a similar trend is occurring across the globe.
Effects of Smoke from Wildfires on Air Quality and Public Health in the United States, Canada and the U.S: Perspectives for the Next Few Days
When the air quality goes down, experts recommend that people stay indoors as much as possible, wear a N95 or similar respiratory protection outside, and limit strenuous activity.
The National Weather Service said the poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke could persist for a couple of days, though forecast specifics may change.
Smoke from wildfires in Canada is again blanketing parts of the U.S. with a thick haze that’s reducing visibility and prompting air quality warnings in several states.
