Canadian wildfires to cause smoke, low air quality in New Hampshire, Maine. See map

Yahoo

4 days ago

As wildfires continue to spread through the prairies of Canada, smoke is traveling down into central and eastern United States, including New Hampshire and Maine.
While the smoke may cloud your vision of the sky or ruin a day at the beach on this week's warmest days of the season so far, it is more than just a nuisance. All across the U.S., the smoke is causing poor air quality, which can cause health effects from mild symptoms in the healthy to dangerous risks for sensitive groups.
An air quality warning has been issued for Portsmouth by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
Here's what to know about the wildfire smoke and its effects in New Hampshire and Maine.
In Maine, smoke should begin to thin out on Thursday. In New Hampshire, the hazy skies are currently expected to last through Friday. A cold front is expected to move into New Hampshire this weekend, causing rain showers and thunderstorms that will likely help to push most of the smoke out of the region, according to the National Weather Service.
However, smoke may continue to affect the region if Canada's wildfires continue for longer. Currently, there are almost 200 wildfires still active in Canada, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.
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Due to the traveling wildfire smoke, an air quality alert has been issued for both southeastern New Hampshire and the coast of Maine.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services warns of unhealthy air quality due to elevated ozone and dangerous fine particles in the air in Rockingham County, including Portsmouth. In Maine, particle pollution levels are expected to rise statewide, while ozone levels will become unhealthy for sensitive groups on Wednesday, June 4 and Thursday, June 5.
Both states advise that individuals limit outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects, including irritated sinuses, stinging eyes, coughing, shortness of breath and even a rapid heartbeat. People who may be especially sensitive to the air pollutants include children, the elderly, those with heart disease and those with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma or bronchitis.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Smoke map: Air quality alert issued for NH due to Canadian wildfires