![]() Here’s our guide, which we will continue to update with new information: How worried should you be? THE CITY spoke with experts about how New Yorkers should stay safe during the dip in air quality. The poor conditions - brought on by smoke in the atmosphere that contains chemicals and particulate matter that can damage the lungs, heart and other organs - caught many New Yorkers off guard in early June, particularly since city officials were slow to communicate as the haze poured in. Members and sponsors make THE CITY possible. Scores above 300 are considered hazardous. The higher the AQI scores, the worse the air quality. More fires elsewhere means smoke could blanket New York City more frequently, depending on weather patterns. “It also causes the fire season to last longer.” “Climate change leads to things like warmer temperatures, worsening drought, drier soil, etcetera, which all act to make wildfires larger and more intense,” said Dan Westervelt, an associate research professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. And we’re likely in for more of the same as a result of climate change. In recent summers, wildfire smoke has reached New York City from the West Coast, but the haze blowing in from Canada this year was the most severe in decades. That may not be the last time this summer that smoke from wildfires will muddle the skyline and smell up city streets. And alternate side parking was suspended. On June 7, the air quality index in New York City reached 484 AQI, a measure of various air pollutants on a single scale - the highest ever recorded here. ![]() This article, which was first published on June 7, has been updated. ![]()
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