As Canada grapples with one of its worst wildfire seasons in decades, thick smoke billowing from Quebec spread across the U.S. Midwest on Tuesday, a day after NASA announced that she had crossed the Atlantic Ocean. in Europe.
Canada is grappling with an extraordinary outbreak of wildfires across the country that has forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, raised concerns about global warming and, this month, sent A choking smoke along the east coast of the United States, from New York to Washington, passing through Minnesota.
How has smoke affected air quality in the US Midwest?
On Tuesday, wildfires in Canada deteriorated air quality in Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee, among other places.
In Chicago, the air quality index hit 209 at noon on Tuesday, the worst reading of the day for any major city in the world, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company.
(The index rose in Chicago on Wednesday morning to 216, even though air quality was worse in Detroit, where the index hit 306).
In Green Bay, Wisconsin, the index was 175; in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it soared to 255.
Any reading above 100 on the index is a warning for people with respiratory diseases to take precautions.
These numbers are rare in the United States; an index greater than 200 is considered “very unhealthyfor everyone, and one above 300 is classified as “dangerous”.
In early June, there were readings above 400 on the East Coast.
How long will the smoke last this time?
On Tuesday, a storm system just northeast of the Great Lakes produced counterclockwise wind, funneling smoke from Canada’s wildfires south into the Midwest.
As the system turns eastward, it is likely that the smoke will also move eastward.
However, the storm system was expected to move quite quickly out of the region.
However, hazy, smoky skies are expected to remain usual across much of the United States this summer.
How many fires are there in Canada?
On Tuesday, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center reported 485 active fires across the countryof which 257 were out of control.
As of June 7, this year’s fires in Canada had burned more than 9.8 million acres of forest, more than 10 times the area burned last year at this time, authorities said.
How far has smoke from wildfires traveled in Canada?
The fires in Canada are so intense that NASA reported on Monday that satellite images showed smoke from northern Quebec had passed through Europe, darkening skies over southwestern Europe and reaching parts of northern Quebec. . Portugal, Spain and France.
How do wildfires affect air quality and summer fun?
In Canada, Environment Canada warned on Tuesday that air quality would deteriorate overnight in Torontothe largest city and financial capital of the country.
Poor air quality has also affected Montrealwhere the sun has appeared in recent days as a scary red dot.
Poor air quality led to the cancellation last weekend of an Ironman triathlon race in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, while summer recreation was hampered by the closure of some swimming pools and beaches in certain regions of Quebec and Ontario. .
What role does global warming play?
Climate studies suggest that the heat and drought associated with global warming are the the main reasons the number of fires and their intensity.
Canada has the largest intact forest ecosystem in the world, and many parts of the country have recently suffered from drought and high temperatures.
This can make trees vulnerable to fire and dry out dead grass, pine needles and other material on the forest floor that could be used as firewood.
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