The Manhattan skyline was obscured by thick haze and Chicago closed its beaches Thursday as out-of-control Canadian wildfires raged, sending smoke spewing into the United States and exposing millions of people to dangerously unhealthy air.US states near the Canadian border including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois were particularly choked, while the Northeast including New York was also experiencing deteriorating air quality.
On Thursday evening, tracker IQAir said Chicago and Detroit were the top polluted cities in the world, with New York not far behind.
The most populous US city was shrouded by the smoke that state authorities warned contained fine particulate matter deemed unhealthy for everyone across the New York metro area and Long Island.
Even worse air enveloped the central and western regions of the state.
Authorities encouraged New Yorkers to spend as little time outside as possible, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani warning of the "serious threat" of heavy heat and unsafe air.
