Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Air quality in several U.S. cities is currently in the unhealthy category. In fact, four of the five worst cities in the world are in North America, including New York.
According to CNBC, New York, Washington DC, Montreal and Toronto have the worst air quality in the world, according to the tracking service IQAir.
This situation was triggered by devastating wildfires in Canada which caused an air of smoke across the continent.
Meanwhile, New York City now has the second worst air quality in the world with an Air Quality Index recorded at 162, just behind Jakarta.
Toronto and Montreal ranked No. 3 and No. 4, reporting AQIs of 155 and 153, respectively. Anything above an AQI of 150 is considered unhealthy air.
The fifth-ranked city, Washington, D.C., is hundreds of miles from where wildfires continue to burn in Canada. The air quality is slightly better than the other three North American cities on the list, with an AQI of 122. This number is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Canada’s wildfires have been raging for weeks, with record heat and drought fueled by climate change creating conditions for more intense and longer-lasting wildfires.
Meanwhile, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul warned residents that potentially hazardous air quality reflects a grim contrast for the state’s residents.
“It’s not something we’re talking about for future generations. We’re really the first generation to feel the real impacts of climate change,” Hochul said at a news conference earlier this week.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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