The Statue of Liberty is shrouded in a reddish haze due to wildfires in neighboring Canada in New York June 6, 2023. SPENCER PLATT / AFP
Suddenly New York looked like San Francisco in summer: orange sun veiled by clouds, the building opposite blurred by smoke and the unrestrained cough that grips those who venture outside. The most populous metropolis in the USA (8 million inhabitants) was engulfed in smoke from the fires in Canada. According to government website AirNow, the air in Manhattan around Central Park is “very unhealthy.” The value continues to deteriorate and assumes a “red” index – with readings for fine particles in the air from 162 to 183 in the morning – to “purple”, with an index of 235 at 2 p.m.
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In Syracuse, in the north of the state, the counter reached 391 (out of a maximum of 400) with “dangerous” air quality: this is what threatens New York in the coming hours. The tabloid New York Post, citing IQair, notes that currently only New Delhi in India and Dhaka in Bangladesh have worse air quality.
Smoke from wildfires in Canada blankets a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York, on June 7, 2023. DAVID DEE DELGADO / AFP
“I don’t remember anything that thick,” meteorologist John Crisstantello told the New York Times. It’s significant. The city is surprised: “There is no manual for this type of event,” said Mayor Eric Adams, saying that there was “no late notification of the arrival of the pollutant cloud”.
Celebrations cancelled
The city and state are now in the containment order. It is recommended not to go out or exercise, wear masks and use the air conditioning by closing the windows. Schools remain open, but outdoor activities are cancelled. “Today we moved all outdoor activities indoors at all levels, including breaks and all outdoor excursions,” Lycée Français de New York director Evelyne Estey wrote to parents. “All the windows will be closed, the air conditioning and the air filter system will be on. The school has provided extra N95 masks at both entrances to the school for anyone who needs them. »
Outdoor festivals that swell in June are being canceled, such as the fireworks and party planned for Coney Island to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Luna Park, Brooklyn’s historic oceanfront amusement park. “Following Mayor Adams’ announcement that air quality is expected to deteriorate tonight due to the wildfires in Canada, Luna Park at Coney Island is postponing the grand opening of its expansion with fireworks, scheduled for tonight,” the park said. Animal rights activists have called for a halt to Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages, which tourists charge a fortune for. Sports clubs, whether training rooms or swimming pools, have decided to close their doors during the day. “We made this decision because the health and safety of our members and program users is our top priority,” the members wrote to Asphalt Green, an Upper East Side club.
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