(WWJ) Metro Detroit has some of the worst air quality in the world right now, and it's not going to get much better for at least a day or two.
An Air Quality Alert for the entire state of Michigan has been extended through noon on Saturday for elevated levels of fine particulate due to wildfire smoke wafting down from Canada.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) said conditions on Friday were worse than Thursday, with air quality in the hazardous range in all areas of the state.
AccuWeather says over 800 wildfires are currently burning across Canada, including dozens that are out of control across western Ontario, the source of most of the smoke; many of them started by lightening.
So, when might we see some relief from the smoke in our area?
Stephanie Hengesbach, a Meteorology Specialist in the Air Quality Division of EGLE, said the answer to that isn't straight forward.
"Unfortunately, until these fires up in Canada are subsided and gone, anytime we get into a northwesterly wind flow pattern, we're going to have the threat of these plumes coming into the area."
Hengesbach said forecasts show the winds could shift as early as late Friday night into Saturday morning.
However, she said any relief will be short-lived as conditions are expected to deteriorate once again, early next week
EGLE recommends, whenever possible, avoiding strenuous outdoor activities — especially for those with heart disease and respiratory conditions like asthma.
Watch for symptoms including wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, dizziness, or burning in nose, throat, and eyes.
Michiganders can do their part to help reduce air pollution by limiting outdoor burning and use of residential wood burning devices.
At home, keep windows closed to prevent smoke from getting indoors and, if possible, run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher rated filters.
DMC Pulminologist Dr. Tanaz Salimnia said the fine particulate matter in the air will bother everyone — not just those with underlying conditions. She recommends staying indoors with an air conditioner running, whenever possible.
"This is definitely the worst — what I'm noticing even indoors, which is the first time I've noticed that indoor air quality has been affected," Salimnia said.
Air purifiers will help with indoor air quality, she said, and wearing a mask can also help lessen the impacts of the hazardous air.
Along with Michigan, air quality alerts have been issued for millions more people, across Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
For up to date air quality data for Michigan, visit the MiAir site: https://michigan.gov/MiAir.
“We want Michigan families to know how to best take precautions to protect their health and safety during air quality events,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive. “We are urging Michiganders to check the Air Quality Index regularly to decide if they should be participating in outdoor activities and using the website to help determine what actions they should take to keep themselves and their families safe.”
Check the 10-day AccuWeather forecast at this link.
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