June 29, 2023 – Millions of Americans are affected by poor air quality in quite a few states because of wildfires in Canada and intense heat within the South.
“Everyone says, ‘We are used to the heat, but not to this extent,’” said Mayor Victor Treviño of Laredo, Texas, in The Washington PostLast week, the town reached a latest high of 46 degrees Celsius and nine people died because of the warmth.
The Post estimates that 59 million people, mainly within the south, are prone to dangerous heat.
American cities were among the many cities with the worst air quality on the planet on Wednesday, IQAirwith Detroit and Washington, DC performing worse than Baghdad, Iraq and Delhi, India.
The National Weather Service said the wildfires would proceed to worsen air quality through Thursday, urging people to not spend too long outdoors and advising those with chronic respiratory conditions to remain indoors.
“Scientists said climate change helped shape the weather patterns that caused misery and endangered lives from Mexico to Canada,” the Post reported. “The effects were undeniable: If it wasn't way too smoky, it was way too hot.”
Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, told the Washington Post: “You can pick your poison. Heat waves are natural, as are fires, but climate change is making the heat waves more intense and the fires more intense.”
The post said it could take days for the smoke and warmth from the South to subside.
California could experience its first major heat wave of the yr this weekend, with temperatures over 100 degrees expected within the Central Valley.