Wildfires raging in Canada could send smoke clouds to Washington, D.C., as soon as Thursday, creating dangerous air quality levels for millions.Meteorologists said the district and other areas across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast could see smoky conditions as soon as Wednesday, July 15. The Washington, D.C., area could receive a “light to moderate impact” from the Canadian wildfires on Wednesday, FOX 5 chief meteorologist Tucker Barnes said.The wildfires are burning in Ontario, Canada, Minnesota, and nearby regions, with smoke already affecting cities in the Midwest and Northeast.
Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have issued air quality alerts or warned their residents about poor air quality levels. Michigan’s environmental agency issued an air quality alert for the entire state for Wednesday and Thursday. Parts of Minnesota, particularly near the Twin Cities, have been under an air quality alert since Tuesday. New York City and parts of central New York also issued warnings due to the smoke impact.In the Northeast, cities across New England have reported yellow and brown hues in their skies.“There is plenty of smoke upstream, so expect periods of hazy skies over the next day before the cold front pushes through,” the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said on social media Tuesday.US BRACES FOR ANOTHER HEAT WAVE WITH TEMPERATURES HOTTER THAN 100 DEGREES EXPECTEDAccording to AirNow, Washington, D.C., experienced moderate air quality on Wednesday, with the air quality index at 64 around noon and a forecast high of 97 later in the day.Air quality is forecast to reach levels unhealthy for sensitive groups on Thursday, with an AQI forecast of 108, meaning members of sensitive groups, such as children or individuals with lung conditions, may experience health effects, but the general public is less likely to be affected.
