Orange sky and the worst air quality since 9/11: what the heck is happening in NYC?

You’ve only got to flick open Instagram this week to realise that something serious is going on in New York. 

Bathed in an eerie orange glow, empty city streets and hazy views of the Statue of Liberty fill my feed, while it looks like dystopia has settled over Times Square. And with those still out in public once more donning face masks, it’s giving full The Day After Tomorrow vibes with a side of COVID-reckoning. 

So, what’s happening? 

Watch: Kelly Denies Global Warming Caused The Australian Fires. Post continues after video.

While the Big Apple isn’t exactly known for its air quality, it became the most polluted major city in the world this week after plumes of thick smoke from wildfires burning in Canada reached New York. 

Wind patterns are continuing to push the haze from more than 150 forest fires in Quebec hundreds of miles south to the city, placing at least five boroughs under an Air Quality Health Advisory. 

“It looks like Mars out there,” Fox Forecast Centre meteorologist Brian Mastro said.

Please be advised❗️

Smoke conditions coming from Canada are affecting air qualities in New York City.

This picture was taken today.

Same location to a normal clear day of The Reservoir in Central Park. pic.twitter.com/h7kbdjwpru

— NYPD Central Park (@NYPDCentralPark) June 7, 2023

He explained that by Wednesday afternoon, the air quality index had risen to 353 out of 500 — compared to a normal day in NYC when the air index is less than 50. 

The “very hazardous” level is the worst recorded since at least the 80s, meaning it was even worse than after the September 11 attacks in 2001. Fortunately, the bushfire smoke isn’t as toxic as the cloud of debris that coated the city after the two planes hit the World Trade Centre towers.  

While the smoke has since eased slightly, the city is still dominating the world’s most polluted cities list. According to IQAir, New York is fourth, just behind Delhi in India, on the air quality index.

Image: EarthCam.

New Yorkers told to stay indoors.

With the “unhealthy” air and smoky conditions set to continue into the weekend, the Mayor of New York is urging people to remain indoors with their windows shut.

“This is something that has never impacted [the city] on this scale before,” Eric Adams said. “We had dangerously high levels of wildfire smoke from thousands of miles away..from the gloom over Yankee Stadium to the smoky haze obscuring the skyline." 

If anyone needs to leave their home, he’s encouraging them to wear face masks, while the City Health Commissioner, Dr Ashwin Vasan, added that older adults and those with chronic medical conditions or compromised immune systems are at a particularly high risk. 

“Avoid going outside unless you absolutely have to,” he said. 

Listen to the hosts of Mamamia Out Loud discuss politicians arguing over whether or not climate change is to blame for the NSW fires. Post continues after podcast.  

"Stark reminder" of climate change.

While the smoke continues to blanket not just New York but the east coast with more than 111 million people affected but air quality alerts due to the fires, President Joe Biden said the incident was a telling sign.

"Millions of Americans are experiencing the effects of smoke resulting from devastating wildfires burning in Canada, another stark reminder of the impacts of climate change," Biden said in a statement.

1. New York, 2023
2. San Francisco, 2020
3. Los Angeles, 2020
4. Sydney, 2019

In the past 4 years alone, each city has experienced it's worst day of wildfire smoke in recorded history.

The Earth is on fire. Our negligence is killing our planet. We must change our ways. pic.twitter.com/x7pcmwkttc

— Edgar McGregor (@edgarrmcgregor) June 8, 2023

He added that he was sending extra resources to Canada, including "additional firefighters and fire suppression assets such as air tankers," on top of 600 American personnel.

The President is also now under pressure to declare a climate emergency.

“How can you look at what’s going on and not take action?” activist group, Sunrise Movement, executive director, Varshini Prakash asked in a statement.  

Image: Twitter + Mamamia.