Latest news with #AirQuality
CBS News
a day ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Massive Sahara dust cloud is cloaking the Caribbean on its way to the U.S.
A massive plume of Saharan dust is covering the Caribbean as it makes its way toward to the United States, where it is expected to impact the Gulf region and other areas. Dust was covering Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and other parts of the region on Tuesday, according to CBS Miami's NEXT Weather radar. The plume was forecast to move northwest and reach Florida mid-week, then hit other states including Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas and Louisiana by Friday. Cars drive along a highway as a cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert blankets most of the Caribbean, in Cataño, Puerto Rico, Monday, June 2, 2025. Alejandro Granadillo / AP A dust plume from Africa already made its way to Florida over the weekend, CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG reported. Radar showed dust lingering over the state on Monday. By mid-week, a larger plume will be over Florida, affecting air quality in the state. It will then flow northward, radar shows, more widely affecting southeastern U.S. states and the Gulf region. CBS Miami's NEXT Weather radar shows the Saharan dust forecast for this Friday, June 6, 2025. CBS News Dust from Africa typically move across the Atlantic every year. It is known the Saharan Air Layer, and dust activity tends to peak from late June to the middle of August, meteorologist Jason Dunion told NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service in 2020. New dust plume "outbreaks" can be seen every few days and reach as far west as Texas. As dust hits the U.S. this week, air quality is also being impacted in some states by wildfire smoke from Canada, where more than 100 fires were burning "out of control" on Tuesday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Air Quality Alert in effect for parts of region today
Parts of the region are under an Air Quality Alert today. The Air Quality Alert has been issued for Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Shelby counties in Ohio. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Storm Center 7 continues to TRACK this. Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Britley Ritz has the latest IMPACTS and TIMING on our next chance for showers and storms today on News Center 7 Daybreak from 4:25 a.m. until 7 a.m. TRENDING STORIES: District reacts to death of recent high school graduate killed in crash Firefighters responding to house fire in Greene County Car crashes into Ohio marijuana dispensary, leaving large hole The Air Quality Index (AQI) is projected to be 105 today. Anything over 101 is considered 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' such as older adults, children, and those with respiratory and cardiac diseases, according to the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) and the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (RAPCA). Ritz says the low-level ozone and smoke will worsen the air quality for that group. It means people with respiratory issues could notice symptoms throughout the day. MVPC suggests taking these measures to help reduce ozone: Carpool, bike, walk, or take the bus Get gas after 8 p.m. Do not idle your vehicle because the exhaust contributes to air pollution Mow your lawn in the evening and avoid using gas-powered lawn equipment We will update this developing story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Time of India
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Delhi govt to provide subsidies to promote e-vehicles, says CM Gupta
New Delhi: Delhi government will provide subsidies to people to promote electric vehicle adoption in Delhi in its new policy, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday. Delivering a valedictory address at Aironomics, 2025 convention, she highlighted Delhi government's different initiatives to combat air pollution. Transformation of all the vehicles, including private ones, into electric vehicles (EVs) is a big vision for which Delhi government is coming up with a new EV policy, she said. "We will urge people to purchase electric vehicles for which they will be provided subsidies," she said. Gupta also said that air pollution is a year long problem that required sustained efforts for which her government is hiring 1000 water sprinklers to be used to combat dust on the roads through out the year. "In view of traffic, these sprinklers will operate in early morning and late night hours so that no congestion is there on the roads," she said. Further, the government is also deploying integrated machines across 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi that will perform the task of mechanical sweeping of the roads, water sprinkling and litter collection, she said. She urged the gathering to join the mission to ensure a clean green Delhi by contributing to government's initiatives to check biomass burning , expanding green cover cover and EV adoption. Former New and Renewable Energy Secretary Bhupinder Bhalla speaking on air quality in the capital said that the Central government and Delhi government need to align their efforts to check pollution in the city. According to a statement, several panelists discussed, 'Turning the Tide: Delhi's moment to lead on clean air' session held under the broader Aironomics 2025 convention, hosted by the Bharat Climate Forum (BCF), Dalberg Advisors and the Council for International Economic Understanding (CIEU). "Earlier one would say not much is happening, but now there's momentum. Now there are two common governments with a common agenda in Delhi. Now even the local bodies are also on the same page. Therefore, anything that is decided will be implemented by everyone and at a much faster pace," Bhalla told PTI. Also speaking at the session, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) Chairman Sanjiv Kumar spoke about the need for cost-efficient, real-time pollution monitoring systems. "We want to improve efficiency so that we can do more coverage and find better solutions. If we can identify whether a plant in a particular location is causing a surge, we'll be able to intervene more effectively," he said. The summit also launched Phase 2 of the Air Quality Action Forum (AQAF), jointly announced by Paytm Foundation and UNEP. The platform will support cities and innovators with tools, data, and financing models to scale local clean air solutions, added the statement.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Delhi govt to provide subsidies to promote e-vehicles, says CM Gupta
New Delhi: Delhi government will provide subsidies to people to promote electric vehicle adoption in Delhi in its new policy, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday. Delivering a valedictory address at Aironomics, 2025 convention, she highlighted Delhi government's different initiatives to combat air pollution. Transformation of all the vehicles, including private ones, into electric vehicles (EVs) is a big vision for which Delhi government is coming up with a new EV policy, she said. "We will urge people to purchase electric vehicles for which they will be provided subsidies," she said. Gupta also said that air pollution is a year long problem that required sustained efforts for which her government is hiring 1000 water sprinklers to be used to combat dust on the roads through out the year. "In view of traffic, these sprinklers will operate in early morning and late night hours so that no congestion is there on the roads," she said. Further, the government is also deploying integrated machines across 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi that will perform the task of mechanical sweeping of the roads, water sprinkling and litter collection, she said. She urged the gathering to join the mission to ensure a clean green Delhi by contributing to government's initiatives to check biomass burning , expanding green cover cover and EV adoption. Former New and Renewable Energy Secretary Bhupinder Bhalla speaking on air quality in the capital said that the Central government and Delhi government need to align their efforts to check pollution in the city. According to a statement, several panelists discussed, 'Turning the Tide: Delhi's moment to lead on clean air' session held under the broader Aironomics 2025 convention, hosted by the Bharat Climate Forum (BCF), Dalberg Advisors and the Council for International Economic Understanding (CIEU). "Earlier one would say not much is happening, but now there's momentum. Now there are two common governments with a common agenda in Delhi. Now even the local bodies are also on the same page. Therefore, anything that is decided will be implemented by everyone and at a much faster pace," Bhalla told PTI. Also speaking at the session, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) Chairman Sanjiv Kumar spoke about the need for cost-efficient, real-time pollution monitoring systems. "We want to improve efficiency so that we can do more coverage and find better solutions. If we can identify whether a plant in a particular location is causing a surge, we'll be able to intervene more effectively," he said. The summit also launched Phase 2 of the Air Quality Action Forum (AQAF), jointly announced by Paytm Foundation and UNEP. The platform will support cities and innovators with tools, data, and financing models to scale local clean air solutions, added the statement.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Winds push smoke from Canadian wildfires south into US and worsen air quality
Air quality in some parts of the United States is worsening as smoke from dozens of wildfires in Canada travels south, pushed by winds high in the atmosphere. Air quality in Arrowhead, Minnesota, is deemed unhealthy for people and animals sensitive to pollution and other airborne particles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency 's AirNow page. Moderate air quality is being reported across other parts of northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, the Chicago area, southwestern Michigan and the state's eastern Upper Peninsula, northern Indiana and western Ohio. Over the next day or so, particulates from the burning trees, leaves and other vegetation could reach further south into Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, said Patrick Ayd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth, Minnesota. Murray Kinsey, owner of a houseboat company just outside of Babbitt, Minnesota, said the sky Friday was 'hazy," but anglers still were fishing on nearby Birch Lake. 'It's getting a little hard to breathe,' Kinsey said. 'But it's not terrible. We've had it before, but it's been way worse.' What is AQI and who is at risk? The Air Quality Index — AQI — measures how clean or polluted the air we breathe is on a daily basis. The index focuses on the health effects that might be experienced within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. AQI is calculated based on ground-level ozone, particle pollution or particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country. The index ranges from green, where the air quality is satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk, to maroon, which is considered hazardous. That level comes with health warnings of emergency conditions where everyone is more likely to be affected, according to AirNow. On Friday morning, the AQI showed orange around the Arrowhead, Minnesota, area, which Ayd said is a concern for people with chronic conditions, the elderly and young children. 'They really should limit their time outdoors,' he added. The level below orange is yellow and considered moderate, where the air quality is acceptable. That is what is showing Friday for some other parts of the Midwest. But fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index in northern Minnesota, a level that is unsafe for everyone, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality said it is monitoring air quality levels and advised individuals to limit prolonged outdoor activities. To limit exposure to unhealthy air quality, people should stay indoors with windows and doors closed. Avoid heavy exertion outdoors, using fans or swamp coolers that take air from outside, all wood-burning appliances, and lighting candles and incense. Where are the Canadian wildfires? Nearly two dozens wildfires were burning in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is just north of Minnesota and North Dakota. So far this year, the province had had more than 100 wildfires. On Wednesday, Manitoba declared a state of emergency as the fires forced 17,000 people to evacuate homes in several communities. Canada's wildfire season runs May through September. Its worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023. It choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months. 'We are getting the smoke,' said Kevin Doom, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chicago. 'The winds way up in the atmosphere — 10,000, 20,000 feet up — are blowing in from the north today. Minnesota is kind of taking the brunt at the moment.' 'The wind is going to drag that smoke down over the next day or two,' Doom added. Doom said a little haze was showing Friday morning over Chicago. 'It will keep moving with the wind,' he continued. 'But over time, it will continue to disperse, mix in with the air until it gets thinner and thinner until it fades away.' How did past wildfires impact air quality? Last summer, fires burning in California, Oregon, Arizona, Washington state and other parts of the West, as well as Canada, filled the skies with smoke and haze, forcing some affected areas to declare air quality alerts or advisories. Two years ago, smoky air from wildfires in Canada also shrouded broad swaths of the U.S. and prompted warnings for people to stay inside. ___________________
