New York City still under 'toxic smog' from wildfire smoke as air pollution hits record

New York continues to choke under a thick cloud of a 'Mars-like' smog - with residents urged to stay indoors as toxic particles blanket the city.

An orange haze is blocking out much of New York City and turning the Manhattan skyline into an 'apocalyptic' scene.

New Yorkers have said the fog, which is flowing from wildfires in Canada, 'looks like something from Mars.'

Authorities are also urged people to stay inside and wear a mask if they have to go outdoors - many have also said the smog is "making it hard to breathe."

The “Code Red” air quality alert has been extended and is in place for a third day as forecasts show smoky winds are continuing to push the 'hazardous' air south.

New York Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan has warned: "Air quality conditions in NYC are getting worse and so we're escalating our recommendations.

"We continue to strongly recommend New Yorkers stay indoors, keep windows closed, and perform outdoor activities only if absolutely necessary.

"This is especially true for people who are more vulnerable: people with respiratory or heart conditions, older New Yorkers and very young New Yorkers.

"If you absolutely must be outside, wearing a high-quality mask (N95 or KN95) may help.

"But the best protection is to avoid being outside until the air clears. For New Yorkers who may be experiencing breathing problems, call 911.

"We are strongly recommending organisations cancel or postpone outdoor activities for this evening and tomorrow - or move them indoors.

"We are also recommending childcare and afterschool programs and non-public schools also run activities inside."

In a bid to protect New Yorkers, Governor Kathy Hochul announced around one million N95 masks will be available to residents as air quality continues to be impacted. Masks will be made available at: Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station, Fulton Center, Jamaica Station, Main Concourse of the Port Authority Bus Terminal (South Wing), Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park in Harlem and Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx.

The New York Fire Department are also making masks available, with a limit of two per person across the area.

Masks from the Fire Department will be available at:

• Manhattan: Division 1, 100 Duane St
• Manhattan: Division 3, 207 W 77th St
• Bronx: Division 6, 720 Melrose Ave
• Bronx: Division 7, 2417 Webster Ave
• Brooklyn: Division 11, 172 Tillary St
• Brooklyn: Division 15, 885 Howard Ave
• Queens: Division 13, 9-45 121st St
• Queens: Division 14, 108-01 Horace Harding Ex
• Staten Island: Division 8, 1850 Clove Rd.

A remarkable video has captured the rapid decline in visibility in New York City.

The footage, shared by the National Weather Service on Twitter, revealed a clear skyline at 11 am (local time), but by 2pm, the smoke had thickened, transforming the skyscrapers into a hazy orange blur.

The NWS described the scene as "almost unbelievable."

As of 9am local time, 2pm UK time, air pollution levels in New York were sitting at 209 AQI, 'Very Unhealthy'. The air pollution reached a "hazardous" level of 484, the worst since the 1960s, according to Mayor Eric Adams.

On a typical day, the air index in New York City is around 100.

The thick and dangerous haze caused by wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia has blanketed the US and Canada affecting millions of people as air pollution has reached record levels.

More than 400 blazes burning across Canada have left 20,000 people displaced.

Code red alerts are part of the Air Quality Index (AQI), which ranks air quality on a 500-point scale using a colour-coded system.

The lower end of the scale, represented by green, signifies healthy air, while the higher ends, such as red, purple, and maroon, indicate hazardous and extremely unhealthy conditions.

An AQI level of red is considered unhealthy for all individuals, while purple is deemed "hazardous" for everyone.

Presently, New York City's air quality is categorized as purple, indicating hazardous conditions.

The weather systems driving the great Canadian-American smoke out — a low-pressure system over Maine and Nova Scotia — “will probably be hanging around at least for the next few days,” US National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey said.

This situation has disrupted daily life, with people avoiding outdoor activities, flights being delayed, and a resurgence in mask-wearing and remote work.

There are concerns about the health effects of prolonged exposure to such poor air quality.

Across the eastern US, officials warned residents to stay inside and limit or avoid outdoor activities again Thursday, extending “Code Red” air quality alerts in some places for a third-straight day, as forecasts showed winds continuing to push smoke-filled air south.

Federal officials paused some flights bound Wednesday for New York's LaGuardia Airport and slowed planes to Newark and Philadelphia because the smoke was limiting visibility.

Major League Baseball's Yankees and Phillies had their games postponed.

On Broadway, “Hamilton” and “Camelot” cancelled Wednesday performances and “Prima Facie” star Jodie Comer left a matinee after 10 minutes because of difficulty breathing.

The show restarted with an understudy, show publicists said.

Shakespeare in the Park at Central Park also cancelled its Thursday and Friday performances of “Hamlet,” saying ’tis not nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of wretched air'.

In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered schools to cancel outdoor recess, sports and field trips Thursday.

In suburban Philadelphia, officials set up an emergency shelter so people living outside can take refuge from the haze.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state was making a million N95 masks — the kind prevalent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — available at state facilities, including 400,000 in New York City.

She also urged residents to stay put.

“You don’t need to go out and take a walk. You don’t need to push the baby in the stroller,” Ms Hochul said Wednesday night.

“This is not a safe time to do that.”

Officials said Wednesday, New York City has yet to see an uptick in 911 calls related to respiratory issues and cardiac arrests.

More than 400 blazes burning across Canada have left 20,000 people displaced.

The US has sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada. Other countries are also helping.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to President Joe Biden by phone on Wednesday.

Mr Trudeau's office said he thanked Biden for his support and that both leaders “acknowledged the need to work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change.”

Canadian officials say this is shaping up to be the country's worst wildfire season ever. It started early on drier-than-usual ground and accelerated quickly.

Smoke from the blazes has been lapping into the US since last month but intensified with recent fires in Quebec, where about 100 were considered out of control Wednesday.

“I can taste the air,” Dr Ken Strumpf said in a Facebook post from Syracuse, New York, where the sky took on the colourful nickname of the local university: Orange.

The smoke was so thick in Canada's capital, Ottawa, that office towers just across the Ottawa River were barely visible.

In Toronto, Yili Ma said her hiking group cancelled a planned hike this week, and she was forgoing the restaurant patios that are a beloved summer tradition in a nation known for hard winters.

“I put my mask away for over a year, and now I’m putting on my mask since yesterday," Ms Ma lamented.

Eastern Quebec got some rain Wednesday, but Montreal-based Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said no significant rain is expected for days in the remote areas of central Quebec where the wildfires are more intense.

During the current wildfire season, Canada has witnessed the destruction of over 8.7 million acres due to fires.

Meanwhile, leaders from various fields, including politics, entertainment, and activism, have issued warnings about the current wildfire smoke covering the East Coast, emphasizing that it is a clear indication of the climate crisis.

New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter to highlight the lack of preparedness for the climate crisis, pointing to the smoke and recent extreme temperatures in Puerto Rico.

She said: "It bears repeating how unprepared we are for the climate crisis. We must adapt our food systems, energy grids, infrastructure, healthcare, etc ASAP to prepare for what’s to come and catch up to what is already here."

Bernie Sanders echoed these concerns, emphasizing that 98 million individuals on the East Coast are currently under air quality alerts due to Canadian fires and that New York City experienced the world's worst air quality.