Wildfire smoke engulfs New York as photos show dystopian orange skyline

New York is experiencing some of the worst air quality in the world as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to blanket the city.

As of 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, New York has the worst air quality in the world according to the the IQAir’s Air quality and pollution city ranking. The US Air Quality Index was said to be 342 or “hazardous,” the highest category possible.

The next highest on the list was Delhi, India who sat at a US AQI of 190.

Toronto, the highest Canadian city on the list, currently has the dubious honour of ranking fourth place as worst in the world as of 2:30 p.m., with a US AQI of 160 “unhealthy.” Toronto had earlier been placed at second with a US AQI of 175.

Photos and videos coming out of New York on Wednesday show a orange-yellow hue to the sky, caused by the wildfires raging across Canada.

The city is under an air quality health advisory due to the smoke and haze. The City of New York tweeted just after 11 a.m. on Wednesday that conditions are expected to worsen as the day progresses.

The air quality alerts caution “sensitive groups,” including children, older adults, and people with lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said hazy skies, reduced visibility and the odour of burning wood are likely, and that the smoke will linger for a few days in northern states.

Travel is also being impacted with New York’s LaGuardia Airport announcing flight disruptions due to weather conditions late Tuesday.

The US National Airspace System Status said that departures from LaGuardia Airport were grounded due to “low visibility.”

Canada has experienced 2,214 wildfires across the country so far, said Bill Blair, the federal minister for emergency preparedness.

Wildfires have burned 3.3 million hectares of land.

There are 413 wildfires currently burning, and of those 249 are deemed “out of control,” Canada’s minister for emergency preparedness Bill Blair said in an update this week. Blair also said that the reports of wildfires across the country are some of the most severe ever seen.

18 active wildfires are impacting First Nations communities across Canada.

Updated modelling for Canada’s current wildfire season is “sobering,” said Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, with the risk of wildfires expected to increase throughout the course of June and remain high throughout the summer across the country.

“It shows us that this year’s already devastating season could well get worse.”

“From the gloom over Yankee Stadium to the smoky haze obscuring our skyline we could see it, we could smell it, we felt it,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams in a press conference.

With files from Marissa Birnie and The Associated Press