Video Producer/Editor: Shohini Bose
Guess which city recorded the worst air quality in the world on Wednesday, 7 June, according to IQ Air ?
No, it is not Delhi. It is, in fact, New York. The city's glittering skyline has now been replaced by an eerie orange haze.
"The levels of air pollution that we are seeing today are severe and unusual in Canada and in parts of the US," Rebecca Saari, an air quality expert and associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo, explained to The Quint.
"These are poor air quality days, especially in certain areas, where people should be aware and protecting themselves."
The thick smoke has caused hundreds of flights in the New York area and Philadelphia to be delayed. Schools across the US East Coast canceled outdoor activities, and millions of Americans were urged to stay indoors as smoke blanketed cities with a thick, yellow haze.
But what is behind this sudden spike in air pollution? And for how long is it expected to last? We explain.
What Wildfires in Canada Have To Do With It? Everything!
The situation that US cities on the East Coast, including, New York, are facing is due to smoke from wildfires raging in Canada.
Smoke from wildfires in Canada has been moving south and into the US since May. In fact, according to CBS News, over the past six weeks, large wildfires have spread across Canada causing mass evacuations and burning through more than 3.3 million hectares of land.
Canada is bracing for what forecasters say may be the country's worst wildfire season on record, according to BBC.
To get a peek at how bad it may get, here is some data:
The country has already witnessed 2,214 fires this year.
It has burned down an area which is about the total size of Belgium.
How Long Is It Likely To Last?
Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the US National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center, told Scientific American magazine that "the smoke is very, very tricky as far as trajectory forecasts for a longer term. That being said as we go into summer and the jet stream weakens across the continental United States, it’s likely we will see a slow diminishing of the problems we’re seeing with the smoke from Canada."
Projections have suggested that the risk of wildfires will only go up in June and remain unusually high with little respite throughout the summer. The wildfire season typically lasts from May to September.
However, what is really puzzling about these fires is that such destruction this early in the season is rare.
"We haven't seen a year where the area burned has increased so rapidly so early in the spring," Richard Carr, a fire research analyst with Natural Resource Canada’s Canadian Forest Service, told Scientific American magazine.
What Kindled These Wildfires?
What kindles wildfires are warm and dry climatic conditions. And that is precisely what has happened in Canada. Like the rest of North America, much of Canada has experienced record heat and drought recently.
In fact, late last month, the country experienced its hottest day ever when Lytton in British Columbia recorded temperatures of 49.6 degrees Celsius.
In the Canadian prairies of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta (where the fires are now raging), drought has hit hard. According to the Canada Drought Monitor, all 10 provinces in the country (Ontario, Qubec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and New Foundland and Labrador) are experiencing abnormal dryness, moderate, or severe drought.
As per the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, the destruction from these fires up to this point in the season has been 13 times worse than the 10-year average.
What Effects Can Inhaling Wildfire Smoke Cause?
Breathing in wildfire smoke can cause a headache right away, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Short-term exposure to particulate matter from wildfires has been linked to a spike in emergency room visits for headaches.
One reason why wildfire smoke causes headaches may be that it can alter the sensitivity of certain neurons.
"This, in turn, can increase the risk of headaches," Dr Raj Fadadu, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, who has studied the health effects of wildfire smoke, told The Quint.
Experts suggest wearing N95 masks while stepping outside and monitoring your health – especially if you are someone who is prone to respiratory conditions like asthma.
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