Wildfire smoke and air quality updates: Northeast flights disrupted
Air quality alerts have been issued for states across the Northeast.
Hazy and dangerous fumes from ongoing wildfires in Canada have engulfed the skies over much of the East Coast, prompting serious air quality alerts in over a dozen states.
Canadian officials said firefighters are scrambling to put out the blazes. So far this wildfire season, Canada has seen more than 8.7 million acres burned -- an area larger than the state of Vermont.
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NYC extends Air Quality Health Advisory until Friday night
New York City's Air Quality Health Advisory has been extended to Friday night.
While the AQI in New York City has been dropping significantly throughout the day, as of Thursday afternoon it registered at 178, which is still considered unhealthy.
Totals were over 400 in New York City on Wednesday. Levels under 100 are generally considered safe.
NYC schools will be remote on Friday
Learning will be remote on Friday for New York City public schools.
What you need to know about the dangers of inhaling wildfire smoke
Air quality is measured by the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality index (AQI), which ranges from 0 to 500. A higher level indicates a greater level of pollution and health concern.
Levels under 100 are generally considered safe.
Totals were over 400 in New York City on Wednesday.
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White House postpones Pride event
The White House has postponed the Pride celebration set to take place on the South Lawn on Thursday due to the unhealthy air quality.
The largest-ever White House Pride celebration will now take place on Saturday afternoon.
-ABC News' Justin Gomez
New York City currently has the worst air quality in the world, data shows
New York City currently has the worst air quality than any other city on Earth, as smoke stemming from wildfires in Canada makes its way across the Northeast, according to the latest data from Swiss technology company IQAir.
The air quality index in NYC is at 196 as of Tuesday evening, followed by Doha, Qatar, and Delhi, India.
The next U.S. city on the list is Detroit, which currently places eighth, according to IQAir. Toronto, Canada, sat in ninth place as of Tuesday night.