New York Overtakes New Delhi To Have Worst Air Quality Index, Here's Why
According to IQAir, New York City on Wednesday had the worst levels of air pollution among the top 95 global cities in the world.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday revealed that the New York City currently has the worst air quality than any major city across the world due to Canada fires.
The ratings for air quality levels reached 173 US AQI (at 11:30 AM IST) which is considered unhealthy for all people and significantly above exposure as according to the World Health Organisation.
BREAKING: New York City currently has the worst air quality of any major city across the world due to Canada fires
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) June 7, 2023
New York's Air Quality Index
According to IQAir, New York City on Wednesday morning had the worst levels of air pollution among some of the major cities in the world surpassing New Delhi, India. The other cities who are above New Delhi in terms of AQI are Kuwait City, Detroit, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Baghdad, and Dhaka.
Here's a full list of Air quality and pollution city ranking based on US AQI as per IQ Air. This list is as per data made available at 11:30 AM IST.
This tool ranks and compares 95 global cities with measured PM 2.5 data and the rankings change hourly
For over a week, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions have been intermittently shrouded in smoke engulfed by fires in Canada The situation is giving rise to concerns about the detrimental effects of prolonged exposure to polluted air. Videos about skies in New York State being filled with dense smoke were circulated on social media alarming the citizens.
Thick smoke covers the sky in New York State amid Canada fires. pic.twitter.com/sSqCXJrnpr
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) June 7, 2023
Our planet is on fire. This is NYC right now, full of smoke from wildfires in Canada. If we donât protect our planet, this will become a daily occurrence.
— Skylar Moore ð½ð³ï¸ââ§ï¸ð³ï¸âð (@skylarqueens) June 6, 2023
NYC, please stay in today as we are under an air quality alert. pic.twitter.com/0qTStTwEju
What Happened In Canada
The air quality in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, reached hazardous levels as wildfires continued to ravage western Quebec and northern Ontario. The severity of the situation caused the air quality to exceed the maximum limit on the risk scale, according to Environment Canada. They issued a warning stating that the forest fires might maintain hazardous conditions for human health throughout most of the week.
As a result, the general public was advised to minimise or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities, prioritising their health and well-being especially vulnerable individuals, such as seniors, young children, and pregnant individuals, were strongly urged to avoid engaging in such activities due to the increased risk of severe health issues caused by the pollution.