US residents warned to stay indoors as wildfire smoke turns air hazardous

• Heavy, pungent smoke from Canadian wildfires has significantly darkened skies across the Great Lakes and parts of the East Coast in the US, leading to reduced visibility and dangerous air quality warnings.
• Detroit experienced some of the worst air quality globally for major cities, as a lingering high-pressure system trapped smoke from Canadian and northern Minnesota fires, with north-westerly winds blowing it into Michigan.
• The New York City area was affected by a thick, gloomy orange-and-yellow haze, which dramatically reduced visibility and partly obscured Manhattan's prominent skyline.
• New York City officials responded by opening cooling centres, urging residents to limit outdoor activities, and distributing tens of thousands of face masks at major transit hubs.
• A statewide air quality health advisory was issued by New York's Department of Environmental Conservation, warning of potential "very unhealthy" air quality spikes from Buffalo to Rochester, Syracuse, and the greater New York City area.

IN FULL

Canadian wildfire smoke turns air hazardous in the US Midwest. Officials say stay inside