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NYC Has The 2nd Worst Air Quality In The World Right Now

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for NYC initially on Tuesday, June 6th. Today, the advisory has been reissued for all five boroughs due to continued smoke present from the Canadian wildfires.


As of this afternoon, NYC is at an AQI level of 166. This falls into the unhealthy category for AQI, resulting in possible health effects to those breathing in the air.

To give some context, NYC was at an AQI of 21 (good) on Sunday, June 4th. By Monday, June 5th, the city reached an AQI of 144, qualifying as unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to IQAir.

AQI levels by the hour in NYC
Screenshot from IQAir of AQI levels by the hour in NYC

You can monitor NYC’s live air quality and pollution ranking on IQAir or the Environment and Health Data Portal. Currently, NYC sits as the second worst major city in the world for air quality. Delhi, India is ahead of NYC, with Toronto, Canada following just behind.

According to IQAir, cities in other regions of New York State are experiencing even worse AQI levels: Middletown – 232, Rochester – 288, Ithaca – 281.

The city has requested New Yorkers stay inside or limit outside activities as much as possible. For the elderly and those with heart or breathing problems, it’s advised to wear an N95 or KN95 mask outside.

IQAir forecasts NYC’s air quality to go back down to a moderate pollution level by tomorrow.

For questions, New Yorkers can call the toll-free air quality hotline at 1-800-535-1345. Read more about the current Air Quality Health Advisory here.

The post NYC Has The 2nd Worst Air Quality In The World Right Now appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here