NYC just got hit with an air quality alert, continuing a messy week of weather
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the alert went into effect at midnight Monday and stretches through 12am Tuesday for all five boroughs, along with Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster and Sullivan counties. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to exceed 100, a threshold that signals increased risk for people with asthma, heart conditions or other respiratory sensitivities.
You can thank ongoing wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which continue to send plumes of smoke southward, for this latest batch of bad air. That smoke is now blanketing much of the Northeast—including the Hudson Valley and Central New York—with skies turning from its usual blue to milky gray. And don't expect it to clear up immediately: Forecasters warn that smoke could linger into Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.
DEC and @HealthNYGov have issued an air quality health advisory TOMORROW, August 4th, for all of New York State except Long Island due to smoke from wildfires in Canada.
👉 Latest AQI forecast: https://t.co/wJnArbMzkX
☎️ Air Quality Hotline: 1-800-535-1345 pic.twitter.com/VMCQWwGRbb
— New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (@NYSDEC) August 3, 2025
The Department of Health is advising anyone in sensitive health groups to limit time outdoors, particularly if you start feeling symptoms like coughing, throat irritation or shortness of breath. Even healthy New Yorkers may notice a tickle in the throat or a less-than-pleasant jog through Central Park today.
Adding to the chaotic weather week: A rare earthquake rattled Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, Saturday night. While no aftershocks have been reported yet, experts say there's still a small chance we haven't felt the last of it.
The good news is that aside from a few rogue showers on Tuesday and Thursday, the rest of the week looks dry, sunny and relatively pleasant—just with a hazy Instagram filter applied. Temperatures are expected to hover in the low-to-mid 80s with humidity creeping up, but nowhere near last week's swampy highs.
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The Independent
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