NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Smoke from Canadian wildfires continued to harm air quality in New York City on Friday, with parts of Manhattan and other boroughs reaching "unhealthy" levels of contaminants.
An Air Quality Alert was extended until midnight Friday for all five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, the Hudson Valley and New Jersey. A statewide air quality health advisory also remains in effect through Friday in New York.
On Friday morning, the Air Quality Index in the city was upwards of 160 in some spots, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. That level is considered Code Red or "unhealthy" for everyone.
Other parts of the area were above 100, a level considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups" like children, seniors, pregnant women and people with heart and lung conditions.
The hazardous air was impacting the entire state Friday, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
Speaking on 1010 WINS Friday, Mayor Eric Adams urged New Yorkers to "listen to their bodies" and stay indoors if they can, especially if they have preexisting conditions that could be impacted by poor air quality.
Asked if the smoke could impact the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks on Tuesday night, Mayor Eric Adams said it's too early to tell but hopefully the haze will clear over the weekend as forecast.
"We are really hoping that we can get below 150, and if we don't we will do an analysis with OEM and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene commissioner Ashwin Vasan to send out appropriate warnings," the mayor said. "Normally there's a 24-hour window where we can sort of predict what is taking place. It's challenging, because we're dealing with smoke and the wind and the weather and how it moves."
Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul have been urging everyone to avoid strenuous activities outdoors and for vulnerable people to stay inside. Those going outside should wear a well-fitting face mask like an N95 or KN95.
Hochul said the smoke plume is expected to move out of New York more slowly than it moved in, with heavier smoke to remain through Friday, two days after it moved in on Wednesday.
"Tomorrow we're expecting to see smoke linger across the state. It's going to be important for people to stay vigilant, " the governor said at a Thursday press conference.
Masks will be available at places like FDNY firehouses and NYPD stationhouses. The state will also hand them out at various locations, while the MTA will have them at subway, LIRR and Metro-North stations.
The latest smoke encroachment comes just three weeks after orange smog engulfed the city, driving the AQI past 400. The city recorded its worst air on record, as well as the worst air in the world on June 8.
As smoke and haze linger Friday, it will otherwise be partly sunny and very warm, with a high of 86 in Manhattan.
High humidity and scattered thunderstorms will return Saturday, Sunday, Monday and for the Fourth of July on Tuesday. Highs will be in the low to mid 80s on those days.
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