'These hateful and repeated acts cannot be accepted with any justification,' the Saudi foreign ministry said.Įgypt, the Arab world's most populous country, called the Quran burning a 'disgraceful act provoking the feelings of Muslims' as they mark Eid.

Saudi Arabia, which hosted around 1.8 million Muslim pilgrims for the hajj that ended on Wednesday, also denounced the Quran burning. Reductions in visibility couldn’t come at a worse time for passengers, as AAA expects record travel for the Independence Day weekend.Ĭanada’s Toronto Pearson International Airport reported delays of more than an hour on Wednesday, which included many flights to the U.S.Dhaka strongly condemns burning of Quran outside Mosque in Sweden Some of the poorest Air Quality Index readings were in Northeast Ohio, where several communities reported an AQI value above 300 at one point. More than 120 million Americans were under air quality alerts on Wednesday due to the smoke as alerts stretched over 1,000 miles from Iowa to Massachusetts and down through the Carolinas and Georgia.Ĭities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia all experienced poor air quality and reduced visibility. 'As we get into your Saturday morning, you can start to see the smoke disperse even more with maybe a slight haze in the sky,' said FOX Weather meteorologist Kelly Costa. Sensitive health groups may experience respiratory problems and difficulty breathing. The AQI scale starts at 0 and runs to 500, with values of 50 or below representing cleaner air and values over 300 considered to be hazardous.įor some communities on Friday afternoon, AQI readings may drop into the unhealthy range, and health experts warn individuals should their limit outdoor activity to reduce effects. Altoona, Pennsylvania had an AQI just over 200 Friday morning, signaling 'very unhealthy' air quality. The worst AQI values are expected to be found over Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Observation sites in the NYC metro reported an AQI of greater than 400 in June, setting a new modern record for the poorest air.ĪIR QUALITY TRACKER: HOW BAD IS THE SMOKY AIR IN YOUR AREA AND WHAT’S THE SMOKE FORECAST?Īccording to forecast models, Friday could be the final day of thick smoke for the Northeast and Great Lakes before the latest round starts to thin over the weekend. June 29, 2023.Īir Quality Index values did not reach levels experienced earlier in the month when records were set due to the thick smoke, but still exceeded 150, which is considered unhealthy levels.

Hazy skies had returned to New York City Thursday, and FOX Weather senior meteorologist Greg Diamond said the smoke moved in quickly, and there was a campfire-like smell in the air.Ī man and woman stand in the foreground, as a hazy, wildfire smoke-covered New York city sits in the background. Meanwhile, air quality was significantly improved Thursday night and Friday across much of Illinois south of Chicago, Indiana, western Ohio and Kentucky after Thursday’s ferocious winds associated with a derecho cleaned out the atmosphere.Įven with the help from the derecho, Cleveland woke to smokey skies on Friday where air quality alerts remain in place across northeast Ohio. Washington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee all had AQI readings over 150 early Friday morning, with readings around or just under 150 in the New York City area. The unhealthy air caused health advisories to be issued for many communities and more than 120 million Americans were put under Air Quality Alerts on Thursday, and unhealthy levels of air quality lingered across much of the inland Northeast, Great Lakes, and mid-Atlantic states early Friday morning. NEW YORK CITY – A northerly to northwesterly flow that ushered in rounds of smoke during the workweek could relax over the July 4th weekend, leading to an improvement in air quality readings.ĭozens of wildfires burning in southern Canada produced smoke that traveled over the Great Lakes and Northeast during the workweek.

Usher burn cover