TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Air quality in Chicago is now the worst of any major city in the world, as reported by new data, according to NBC Chicago.
Citing global air quality monitoring platform IQAir on Friday, July 17, the populous city in the state of Illinois, US, has a composite air quality index (AQI) of 651, way above levels considered "hazardous" by experts.
The midwestern city of Detroit followed close behind with AQI 540, while New York is seeing "very unhealthy" air with AQI 215.
Local media reported that the previous worst reading of air quality in Chicago was around 175 on June 27, 2023, making it not only the worst in the world today, but also the worst the city has ever recorded in history.
What causes Chicago's air quality to drop?
Fire activity picked up by the end of June in Canada amid "dry, warm conditions," according to NASA, exacerbated by a heat dome, where an area of high pressure gets stuck trapping warm air and smoke underneath.
By mid-July, nearly 850 wildfires were actively burning in the country. More than 180 of the blazes occurred in Ontario, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, sending heavy smoke across parts of Canada and the United States.
Wildfires extended to Minnesota, according to The Guardian, blanketing the skies in haze in much of the US midwest and northeast, including Chicago, Detroit, and New York.
In Chicago, The National Weather Service has extended the air quality alert at least until Friday afternoon, as the smoke worsened in the evening hours of Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency of Illinois has urged residents to remain indoors and avoid breathing in the unhealthy air. Officials also urged residents to mask up if a trip outdoors is necessary.
Forecast models indicate that smoke may start to clear up by this afternoon in the city, but air quality will remain a concern by that point.
How does the situation impact local events?
Many outdoor camps and events have shifted indoors across Chicago, while pools and beaches were closed on Thursday.
Additionally, a Major League Soccer game between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps at Chicago's Soldier Field was postponed due to the poor air quality, citing ESPN.
What about other states and cities in the US?
Besides Chicago in Illinois, hazardous air quality alerts have been issued across several cities in the US, including Grand Rapids in Michigan, Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and Toledo in Ohio, citing BBC, due to Canada wildfire smoke.
Meanwhile, air quality was rated as "very unhealthy" in parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Indiana on Thursday afternoon.
In New York City, the skies were "tinged with an orange haze" with an "acrid smell," according to The Guardian, with officials warning residents to limit outdoor time.
"At ‘unhealthy’ levels, everyone – not just people with asthma or heart conditions, not just older adults – everyone may feel health effects. So today, every New Yorker should take precautions,” said NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Read: UK Heatwave Peaks as Wildfires Spread, 2,700 Deaths Estimated
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