Air quality concerns rise as Canadian wildfire smoke smothers sky from Midwest to Northeast
'We've seen days and days of hazy skies across Milwaukee, and that just happened to overlap for the first week of the state fair,' FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said.
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'It's a tradition for us to go every year on the first day, but it wasn't happening,' one fairgoer said about the hazy sky.
The thick plumes of smoke in Canada are being driven southward into the U.S. by northerly winds on the backside of an area of high pressure.
The FOX Forecast Center said the wildfire smoke has settled closer to the surface, resulting in widespread reductions in air quality.
'You should limit your outdoor activities, and professionals say maybe wear an N95 mask to protect yourself from some of the wildfire smoke in the sky,' Herrera continued.
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The highest concentrations of Canadian wildfire smoke have been located in Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, and Michigan, with air quality index values ranging from Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy across the region on Monday.
That smoke then moved into areas of the Northeast and New England, with cities along the heavily traveled Interstate 95 corridor like New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston put on alert for unhealthy air quality levels.
3 The thick plumes of smoke in Canada are being driven southward into the U.S. by northerly winds on the backside of an area of high pressure.
AP
3 A wave runner navigates the Detroit River as a haze of Canadian wildfire smoke blankets the Ambassador Bridge and creates poor air quality in Detroit, on Aug. 4, 2025.
AP
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3 Haze from the Canadian wildfires smoke can be seen over the skyline from Long Island City, Queens, on Aug. 5, 2025.
Billy Becerra / NY Post
In fact, about 81 million people from the Upper Midwest to northern New England are under an air quality alert.
The entire states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, and New Hampshire, as well as most of New York and Connecticut, and eastern Pennsylvania are under an Air Quality Alert.
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Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pakistani musicians use folk songs and rap to raise climate change awareness
Climate Pakistan Floods Singer UMERKOT, Pakistan (AP) — Villagers hush when Pakistani folk musician Sham Bhai starts singing about climate change, her clear voice rising above the simple squat dwellings. 'We are the people of the south. The winds seem to be blowing from the north. The winds seem cold and warm. My heart is burned from seeing the collapsed houses in the rain. Oh, beloved, come home soon.' Sham is from Sindh, the Pakistani province worst-hit three years ago by climate-worsened deluges that affected tens of millions of people nationwide and washed away homes, farmland and infrastructure. She has toured a dozen villages in Sindh during the past two years, teaching people about climate adaptation and resilience through song, a useful medium for sharing information in places where literacy is low and internet is scarce. 'When we give a message through song, it is easy to communicate to people because they understand it,' the 18-year-old singer told The Associated Press. She was performing in Umerkot district, singing in her native tongue and official provincial language, Sindhi, which is more likely to be spoken and understood in places like Umerkot than the official and national language of Pakistan, Urdu. Sindh recorded more than 1,000 rain-related deaths in a few months in 2022. The damage remains visible. Broken roads and flattened houses that residents never rebuilt. Floods submerged swathes of Sham's district, Tando Allahyar. News footage showed people wading through waist-deep water. "The meaning of the song is that poor people's homes built on mud are not strong," Sham explains. "Women and children face hardship during the rains because they are vulnerable in the absence of men who go away to work. The women of the house call on their men to return because the weather is so bad.' Poverty and illiteracy deepen people's vulnerability Alternating patches of parched and lush farmland flank the road to Umerkot. Dry and wet spells buffet the province, and local farmers have to adapt. They now focus on winter crops rather than summer ones because the rain is more predictable in the colder months. 'The monsoon season used to come on time, but now it starts late,' farmer Ghulam Mustafa Mahar said. 'Sometimes there is no rain. All patterns are off-course due to climate change for the last five years.' He and others have switched from crops to livestock to survive. There is little infrastructure away from the center of the district. Children get excited seeing sedans crunch through the dust. The area is mostly poor and very hot. Sindh's literacy rate falls to 38% in rural areas. Sham said singing informs those who can't learn about climate change because they can't read. Mindful of their audience, the three singers warm people up with popular tunes to catch their attention before launching into mournful tunes about the wind and rain, their lyrics inspired by writers and poets from Sindh. 'People are acting on our advice; they are planting trees and making their houses strong to face climate change,' said Sham. ' Women and children suffer a lot during bad conditions, which damage their homes.' Women and girls of all ages can be seen working outdoors in Sindh, tending to crops or livestock. They gather food and water, along with wood for fuel. They are predominantly restricted to this type of work and other domestic chores because of gender norms and inequalities. When extreme weather strikes, they are often the first to suffer. One villager said when heavy rain battered homes in 2022, it crushed and killed whoever was inside, including children. One woman is rapping for climate justice People in rural areas have no idea what climate change is, said Urooj Fatima, an activist from the city of Jhuddo. Her stage name is Sindhi Chhokri, and she is known locally for campaigning on issues such as women's rights. But she has turned her attention to raising awareness about climate change since flooding devastated her village in 2022 and again in 2024. 'We can engage a lot of audiences through rap. If we go to a village and gather a community, there are a maximum of 50. But everyone listens to songs. Through rap, we can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people through our voice and our message.' She said hip-hop isn't common in Pakistan, but the genre resonates because of its tradition as an expression of life, hardship and struggle. She has yet to finish her latest climate change rap, but wrote one in response to the 2022 flooding in neighboring Balochistan, the country's poorest and least developed province, because she felt it wasn't getting enough attention. She performed it at festivals in Pakistan and promoted it across her social media accounts. Officials at the time said more help was needed from the central government for people to rebuild their lives. 'There are potholes on the road; the roads are ruined,' raps Urooj. 'I am telling the truth. Will your anger rain down on me? Where was the Balochistan government when the floods came? My pen thirsts for justice. Now they've succeeded, these thieving rulers. This isn't a rap song, this is a revolution.' She and her sister Khanzadi campaign on the ground and social media, protesting, visiting villages, and planting thousands of trees. She wants the Sindh government to take climate change awareness seriously by providing information and education to those who need it the most, people living in rural areas. 'This happens every year,' said Urooj, referring to the floods. 'Climate change affects a person's whole life. Their whole life becomes a disaster.' She cites the disproportionate and specific impact of climate change on women and girls, the problems they experience with displacement, education, hygiene, and nutrition, attributing these to entrenched gender discrimination. 'For women, there are no opportunities or facilities. And then, if a flood comes from above, they face more difficulties.' She elicits controversy in rural areas. Half the feedback she receives is negative. She is undeterred from speaking out on social taboos and injustice. 'Rap is a powerful platform. If our rap reaches just a few people, then this is a very good achievement. We will not let our voices be suppressed. We will always raise our voices high.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Associated Press
33 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Pakistani musicians use folk songs and rap to raise climate change awareness
UMERKOT, Pakistan (AP) — Villagers hush when Pakistani folk musician Sham Bhai starts singing about climate change, her clear voice rising above the simple squat dwellings. 'We are the people of the south. The winds seem to be blowing from the north. The winds seem cold and warm. My heart is burned from seeing the collapsed houses in the rain. Oh, beloved, come home soon.' Sham is from Sindh, the Pakistani province worst-hit three years ago by climate-worsened deluges that affected tens of millions of people nationwide and washed away homes, farmland and infrastructure. She has toured a dozen villages in Sindh during the past two years, teaching people about climate adaptation and resilience through song, a useful medium for sharing information in places where literacy is low and internet is scarce. 'When we give a message through song, it is easy to communicate to people because they understand it,' the 18-year-old singer told The Associated Press. She was performing in Umerkot district, singing in her native tongue and official provincial language, Sindhi, which is more likely to be spoken and understood in places like Umerkot than the official and national language of Pakistan, Urdu. Sindh recorded more than 1,000 rain-related deaths in a few months in 2022. The damage remains visible. Broken roads and flattened houses that residents never rebuilt. Floods submerged swathes of Sham's district, Tando Allahyar. News footage showed people wading through waist-deep water. 'The meaning of the song is that poor people's homes built on mud are not strong,' Sham explains. 'Women and children face hardship during the rains because they are vulnerable in the absence of men who go away to work. The women of the house call on their men to return because the weather is so bad.' Poverty and illiteracy deepen people's vulnerability Alternating patches of parched and lush farmland flank the road to Umerkot. Dry and wet spells buffet the province, and local farmers have to adapt. They now focus on winter crops rather than summer ones because the rain is more predictable in the colder months. 'The monsoon season used to come on time, but now it starts late,' farmer Ghulam Mustafa Mahar said. 'Sometimes there is no rain. All patterns are off-course due to climate change for the last five years.' He and others have switched from crops to livestock to survive. There is little infrastructure away from the center of the district. Children get excited seeing sedans crunch through the dust. The area is mostly poor and very hot. Sindh's literacy rate falls to 38% in rural areas. Sham said singing informs those who can't learn about climate change because they can't read. Mindful of their audience, the three singers warm people up with popular tunes to catch their attention before launching into mournful tunes about the wind and rain, their lyrics inspired by writers and poets from Sindh. 'People are acting on our advice; they are planting trees and making their houses strong to face climate change,' said Sham. ' Women and children suffer a lot during bad conditions, which damage their homes.' Women and girls of all ages can be seen working outdoors in Sindh, tending to crops or livestock. They gather food and water, along with wood for fuel. They are predominantly restricted to this type of work and other domestic chores because of gender norms and inequalities. When extreme weather strikes, they are often the first to suffer. One villager said when heavy rain battered homes in 2022, it crushed and killed whoever was inside, including children. One woman is rapping for climate justice People in rural areas have no idea what climate change is, said Urooj Fatima, an activist from the city of Jhuddo. Her stage name is Sindhi Chhokri, and she is known locally for campaigning on issues such as women's rights. But she has turned her attention to raising awareness about climate change since flooding devastated her village in 2022 and again in 2024. 'We can engage a lot of audiences through rap. If we go to a village and gather a community, there are a maximum of 50. But everyone listens to songs. Through rap, we can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people through our voice and our message.' She said hip-hop isn't common in Pakistan, but the genre resonates because of its tradition as an expression of life, hardship and struggle. She has yet to finish her latest climate change rap, but wrote one in response to the 2022 flooding in neighboring Balochistan, the country's poorest and least developed province, because she felt it wasn't getting enough attention. She performed it at festivals in Pakistan and promoted it across her social media accounts. Officials at the time said more help was needed from the central government for people to rebuild their lives. 'There are potholes on the road; the roads are ruined,' raps Urooj. 'I am telling the truth. Will your anger rain down on me? Where was the Balochistan government when the floods came? My pen thirsts for justice. Now they've succeeded, these thieving rulers. This isn't a rap song, this is a revolution.' She and her sister Khanzadi campaign on the ground and social media, protesting, visiting villages, and planting thousands of trees. She wants the Sindh government to take climate change awareness seriously by providing information and education to those who need it the most, people living in rural areas. 'This happens every year,' said Urooj, referring to the floods. 'Climate change affects a person's whole life. Their whole life becomes a disaster.' She cites the disproportionate and specific impact of climate change on women and girls, the problems they experience with displacement, education, hygiene, and nutrition, attributing these to entrenched gender discrimination. 'For women, there are no opportunities or facilities. And then, if a flood comes from above, they face more difficulties.' She elicits controversy in rural areas. Half the feedback she receives is negative. She is undeterred from speaking out on social taboos and injustice. 'Rap is a powerful platform. If our rap reaches just a few people, then this is a very good achievement. We will not let our voices be suppressed. We will always raise our voices high.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Boston Globe
5 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Wildfire smoke is becoming more problematic in New England; major contributor to poor air quality
Although wildfires across the Western United States are a major problem, it's important to focus on Canada's season because New England sits in a prime position downstream from the jet stream during the summer, which usually rides along the U.S. and Canadian border. Hot smoke plumes rise high in the atmosphere and can travel thousands of miles. Then, if a strong surface high-pressure system is nearby, the sinking air can pull smoke to the surface and create issues, which is what the region has been dealing with to start the work week. Advertisement The last three summers, including 2025, have delivered major smoke episodes across most of New England. Canada saw the worst wildfire season on record in 2023, with a total number of acres burned of 17.3 hectares (or nearly 43 million acres). 2024 followed up with the sixth-worst wildfire season on record, and the current season is a lock for the second-worst, with nearly 7 million hectares or 17 million acres already charred. Boston and much of New England felt the impacts of such extensive wildfire seasons. Take a look at the annual hectares burned in Canada since tracking began in 1983. Advertisement I connected with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and they shared the number of days when ozone and PM2.5 exceeded the threshold to issue alerts across the Bay State. 2021 and 2022 both saw six days with air quality alerts issued. But what sticks out is 2023, when the MassDEP issued air quality alerts for a record 19 days, coinciding with the historic Canadian wildfire season. Fires raging over Central and Eastern Canada, specifically the Quebec region, were responsible for the increase in poor air quality days that year. With wildfires burning much closer to home, the smoke doesn't have to rise or travel as far to reach the region. Smoke from Canadian wildfires obscures the skyline, Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Boston. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press 2024 saw 10 days where parts of Massachusetts were under air quality alerts, and 2025 currently sits at seven days. Numbers are similar across the other five New England states, too. The clear rise in both frequency and intensity of smoke events reaching New England is driven mainly by more prolonged drought and heat intensity across Canada and the Western United States, each of which stems from climate change. Heat speeds up evaporation and depletes moisture from vegetation on the ground, and drought will make vegetation more vulnerable to combustion in the event of a lightning strike or a human-caused ignition. Although New England historically has relatively clean air, the increase in the number of poor air quality days can disrupt outdoor plans and, most importantly, your health. Air quality alerts should be taken seriously. Below is who should take caution whenever air quality rises to the threshold deemed unhealthy: people with heart or lung disease, such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. Advertisement Ken Mahan can be reached at
