ORLANDO, Fla. – The Canadian province of Quebec is experiencing one of its worst fire seasons ever on record, at times with firefighters battling more than 400 fires at once.
As smoke billows over Quebec, a large low off the coast of the Northeast is helping funnel that smoke into the northeast states and down the Eastern Seaboard.
This blanket of smoke and haze is smothering millions, as air quality reaches “Very Unhealthy” to “Hazardous” levels. Some cities, such as in New York, are seeing the worst levels ever on record.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
Officials as far as Washington, D.C., are warning residents and visitors to try and stay indoors as much as possible, and to use N95 masks if going outside.
On Wednesday, a ground stop was issued at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and La Guardia Airport in New York City due to low visibility from smoke. On Thursday, some school districts even cancelled school. Along with day-to-day disruptions, the smoke also impacted Major League Baseball games being played around the Northeast; the Blue Jays announced they will be closing the Rogers Centre roof for the game, while officials postponed several other baseball games.
Unfortunately, the current weather pattern will remain in place, keeping hazardous air quality another day for many. By this weekend, the winds will shift for the better in the Northeast, with flow backing from the south as a new low tracks in from the Great Lakes. The shift in winds, along with additional rain in the forecast, is expected to begin improving conditions.
Air quality has been impacted in areas as far south as the Florida Panhandle. Thankfully, our daily sea breezes help cleanse our air each afternoon, which keeps us with good air quality.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: