NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Poor air quality in New York City from Canada's wildfires continued Wednesday, leading to urgent warnings from officials and the cancellation of some activities as the region was engulfed in a dangerous smoke that also disrupted flights at area airports.
The smoke will continue to produce hazy skies midweek after the city registered the worst air quality of any metropolitan area in the world on Tuesday night, according to IQair, with the five boroughs shrouded in a striking and sooty cloud that obscured the skyline.
On Wednesday, the city experienced the worst air quality in the world as well as its worst air in recorded history, with the Air Quality Index reaching "hazardous" levels of 484 out of 500 around 5 p.m.
Mayor Eric Adams encourage New Yorkers to stay indoors and to wear a mask if going outside is unavoidable.
"We’re encouraging New Yorkers to stay home, indoors tonight and tomorrow whenever possible," said Adams. "Especially our vulnerable New Yorkers. All New Yorkers should limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible. If you must be outside, we recommend wearing a mask."
The mayor stopped short of asking private employers to cancel work or switch to remote work, but the city is cancelling all outdoor events scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for all five boroughs, as well as the whole of Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam counties in New York until Thursday evening. The counties of Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex and Union are under the same alert in New Jersey.
Late Wednesday night, school districts in Yonkers and Freeport announced school closures on Thursday due to the poor air quality.
Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said that the air quality alert could be extended as the city experiences the worst air quality since the 1960s.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality health advisory until midnight Thursday night for New York City, Long Island, Lower Hudson Valley, Upper Hudson Valley, Eastern Lake Ontario, Central New York and Western New York regions.
The New York City Metro, Long Island, Eastern Lake Ontario, Central, and Western regions are expected to have "unhealthy" AQI levels on Thursday, the department said.
After AQI values in the city hit a "very unhealthy" level of 218—or "code purple"— on Tuesday night, Mayor Eric Adams urged "all New Yorkers limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible."
The mayor said his administration is coordinating with various city agencies—including the Health Department, Environmental Protection, Emergency Management, the NYPD, the FDNY and the Department of Education—to protect New Yorkers' health amid the rare event.
In addition to everyone limiting outdoor activity, people with preexisting respiratory conditions, as well as children and older adults, should stay indoors, the mayor said. It's also a good idea to wear a high-quality mask like an N95 outdoors to reduce exposure to pollutants.
The city's public schools will not offer any outdoor activities on Wednesday, the mayor said.
The hazy conditions caused flight disruptions at area airports, including ground delays at Newark and LaGuardia, as visibility plummeted to under a mile on Wednesday afternoon. LaGuardia was temporarily under a ground stop.
The Yankees' game against the White Sox on Wednesday night was postponed due to the hazy conditions. Instead, the game is expected to be held Thursday as the first game of a single-admission doubleheader.
The city Parks Department canceled outdoor events for Wednesday, including "Movie Under the Stars" events scheduled in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.
Various other events were also canceled, from picketing by the Writers Guild of America to a taxi driver protest outside the governor's Manhattan office and a jazz concert outside Brooklyn Borough Hall.
On Broadway, Tony-nominated actress Jodie Comer briefly paused a matinee performance of "Prima Facie" Wednesday due to the smoky conditions and told audience members she was having difficulty breathing, one audience member told Deadline.
The show reportedly started 10 minutes late, only for Comer to attempt to start it and then explain from the stage that she couldn't breathe properly to continue performing. When the curtain fell, an announcement asked the audience to remain seated until a final decision was made on whether to cancel the matinee or use an understudy.
A spokesperson told the outlet that after the show halted, understudy Dani Arlington went on for Comer.
A toll-free air quality hotline has been established so New York residents can stay informed on the air quality situation. The toll-free number is 1-800-535-1345.
Govs. Kathy Hochul and Phil Murphy said they were monitoring conditions in New York and New Jersey and working with their respective state environmental and health agencies. "Make no mistake," Murphy warned in a statement, "these extreme weather events are tangible – and devastating – evidence of the intensifying climate crisis."
By Wednesday afternoon, Murphy announced that state offices would close at 3:30 p.m.
Hochul stressed the need to stay indoors in a briefing late Wednesday afternoon and announced that 1 million N95 masks will be made available across the state Thursday.
The acrid air is from hundreds of wildfires burning across the western provinces to Quebec. Hazy conditions have been reported from Cleveland to Boston.
Smoke from the fires has wafted through Northeast for weeks now, but it’s only recently been noticeable in most places.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said hazy skies, reduced visibility and the odor of burning wood are likely, and that the smoke will linger for a few days in northern states.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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