Air Quality Alert Issued for NYC and Hudson Valley

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley, effective until midnight on Monday, August 4.

This alert hearkens back to the intense, orange-hued smog that blanketed New York City in June 2023 from previous Canadian wildfires, which was widely noted as an unprecedented event for the city. Monday’s air quality alert, at around 100, is nowhere near the 430 rating that NYC hit in 2023.

According to the NYSDEC, the advisory is due to ground-level ozone and particulate matter from wildfires burning in Ontario. The agency predicts that these pollutants could push the Air Quality Index (AQI) above 100, which is considered an unsafe level.

Data from airnow.gov, as of 9:45 a.m., indicated a “Moderate” Air Quality Index for the Lower Hudson Valley with a score of 74. However, the particulate matter level was measured at 101, an indicator of the rising risk.

The NYSDEC has cautioned that as temperatures rise throughout the day, the risk for people with respiratory illnesses is expected to increase.

Specific groups are particularly vulnerable to the effects of poor air quality. The National Weather Service (NWS) stated in the alert that at-risk populations include “the very young, and those with preexisting respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease.”

To mitigate the health risks, the NYSDEC has advised that individuals in at-risk groups should remain indoors and limit strenuous physical activity.