It\u2019s going to get hazier before it gets better.<\/p>\n
The Big Apple is under an Air Quality Health Advisory as the\u00a0Canadian and Great Lakes wildfire smoke slowly takes over our skies.<\/a><\/p>\n The air pollution reached \u201cUnhealthy\u201d levels of air quality Wednesday afternoon \u2014 exceeding what officials had previously predicted, according to the city\u2019s Office of Emergency Management.<\/p>\n A hazy sunrise over Manhattan on July 15, 2026 as Canadian wildfire smoke engulfs New York City. Getty Images<\/p>\n The visible smoke from the fires has been traveling through the Empire State, turning the bright blue skies into a pale haze.<\/p>\n The Air Quality Index (API) reached 151-200 Wednesday afternoon, levels at which officials warn \u201call New Yorkers\u201d to stay inside and limit outside activity.<\/p>\n Earlier in the day, the AQI was between 101 and 150.<\/p>\n Although the AQI climbed, it is still a far cry away from the harrowing 465 \u201cHazardous\u201d peak that\u00a0turned the metro skies orange during the June 2023 Canadian wildfires.<\/a><\/p>\n A woman using an umbrella to shield herself from the sun while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on July 15, 2026. REUTERS<\/p>\n Smoke from the Canadian wildfires covering Manhattan on June 7, 2023. Brian Zak for NY Post<\/p>\n However, this year\u2019s smoke event coincides with an ongoing heat wave, with temperatures expected to near 100 degrees throughout the Big Apple Wednesday.<\/p>\n The city also issued a heat advisory and activated its heat emergency plan \u2014 however, if the smoke continues to grow thicker, it could bring temperatures down by blocking the sun\u2019s intense rays.<\/p>\n The NYCEM warned that any ground-level impacts are still uncertain, but that the air quality could trigger health issues, especially for those suffering from lung diseases such as asthma.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery New Yorker has a different risk profile, and this week you need to know yours,\u201d NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell said Tuesday. \u201cIf you\u2019re sensitive to air quality, don\u2019t remain in a space without air conditioning or filtration.\u201d<\/p>\n A wildfire surrounding a train in Ontario, Canada on July 14, 2026. X \/ @solmamakwa<\/p>\n Wildfire smoke seen over the Toronto skyline on July 15, 2026. REUTERS<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if you\u2019re in a population vulnerable to heat, older adults, young children, people with chronic conditions, take the heat seriously too,\u201d Farrell added. \u201cIn both cases, you should get to a cool indoor space, and if you don\u2019t have one at home, a cooling center is open near you.\u201d<\/p>\n