New York City’s air quality dropped to unhealthy levels Wednesday morning, but don’t blame the Canadian wildfires — this time fireworks and sizzling weather are the main culprits.
Conditions improved enough by 11 a.m. local time to reach moderate levels across most of the city, with pockets of Brooklyn and Staten Island rated unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow map. Air quality was also moderate for most of the Great Lakes region and mid-Atlantic.
The temperature is forecast to reach 92F (33C) in Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon, which would make it the hottest day of 2023 so far. Hot, sunny days can cause ozone to accumulate under a layer of stagnant air, trapping smoke from Fourth of July fireworks, car exhaust and other pollutants. The situation is often worse in the morning and evening because the ground cools off faster than the atmosphere, creating an inversion that keeps air near the surface.
“There’s some lingering particulate matter from the fireworks,” James Tomasini, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office in Upton, New York, said by phone.
Author: Brian K. Sullivan and Will Wade
