New York's AQI reaches dangerous levels amid wildfires in Canada

Parts of New York City have been covered in a thick layer of smoke as health authorities urged the at-risk residents to wear high-quality masks when outside. "If you are an older adult or have heart or breathing problems and need to be outside, wear a high-quality mask," the office of Mayor Eric Adams has alerted, according to the Washington Post. Similar alerts have been raised in Canada's Toronto and Ottawa. Vast swathes of the northern United States are covered in a thick layer of smoke with air alerts being triggered in several cities as wildfires rage in Canada. An unusually early and intense start to wildfire season has set Canada on track for its worst-ever year as warm and dry conditions are forecast to persist for months.