Canadian wildfire smoke expected to reach Norway on Thursday after millions urged to stay indoors
A blanket of smoke billowing over swathes of the US after Canadian wildfires is expected to reach Norway on Thursday.
The Norwegian Climate and Environmental Research Institute confirmed the news after the smoke has moved over Greenland and Iceland since June 1, but it is not expected to be a health concern.
Across the eastern US, residents have been warned to stay indoors again on Thursday, extending 'code red' air quality alerts in some places for a third-straight day.
The thick, hazardous haze has chased players from ballfields, actors from Broadway stages, delayed thousands of flights and sparked a resurgence in mask wearing and remote work - all while raising concerns about the health effects of prolonged exposure to such bad air.
In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered schools to cancel outdoor recess, sports and field trips on Thursday. In suburban Philadelphia, officials set up an emergency shelter so people living outside can take refuge from the haze.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the state was making a million N95 masks - the kind prevalent at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic - available at state facilities, including 400,000 in New York City. She also urged residents to stay put.
“You don’t need to go out and take a walk. You don’t need to push the baby in the stroller,” Ms Hochul said Wednesday night. “This is not a safe time to do that.”
The smoke caused British star Jodie Comer to call off a performance of Broadway show Prima Facie, after telling the stage manager she could not breathe.
Comer only managed 10 minutes on stage in New York during Wednesday's performance of Prima Facie, a play about a British defence lawyer who ends up in the witness box.
An audience member said Comer was around three minutes into the performance before coughing and telling a stage manager she could not breathe, US news site Deadline reported.
A spokesperson for Prima Facie said: “Today’s matinee of Prima Facie was halted approximately 10 minutes into the performance after Jodie Comer had difficulty breathing due to the poor air quality in New York City because of smoke from the Canadian wildfires.
“The performance was set to start again from the top with understudy Dani Arlington going on for Ms Comer in the role of Tessa.”
Hamilton and Camelot, two other Broadway plays, also cancelled their Wednesday performances due to the smoke. Elsewhere, Major League Baseball’s Yankees and Phillies had their games postponed.
What's causing the smoke?
A combination of raging forest fires and strong winds have led to NYC being blanketed in the 'hazardous' smoke.
More than 400 blazes burning across Canada have left 20,000 people displaced. In Quebec, where about 100 were considered out of control Wednesday.
Canadian officials say this could be the country's worst wildfire season ever.
The US has sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada.
Due to a low pressure system near Nova Scotia and circulating winds, the air picks up smoke, and then turns east over New York state, carrying smoke to the east coast.
It is predicted the weather will continue into the weekend.
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