Latest news with #BrandonBuckingham
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Canada wildfire smoke headed your way? Where are Canadian wildfires? What is US air quality?
The Canadian wildfire smoke is slowly working into the U.S. and could affect several states in the Midwest and the Northern Plains, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. Hot air and any lingering smoke can lead to ozone issues over a broad area of the north-central region, as heat builds in from the western U.S. this week. AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham noted that "there will be episodes where the smoke can reach the lower levels of the atmosphere and affect visibility and air quality. That could be a safety concern for travel in extreme cases and pose health problems for some individuals with respiratory issues." The wildfires in Canada are burning in Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan, according to USA Today. There are multiple states in the path of Canadian wildfire smoke. Here is a list of potentially impacted states, according to USA Today: Kentucky Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana North Dakota Ohio South Dakota Wisconsin Chris Sims is a digital producer at IndyStar. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Wildfires in Canada 2025: Where are they? Smoke map; US, Indiana air quality
Indianapolis Star
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Indianapolis Star
Canada wildfire smoke headed your way? Where are Canadian wildfires? What is US air quality?
The Canadian wildfire smoke is slowly working into the U.S. and could affect several states in the Midwest and the Northern Plains, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. Hot air and any lingering smoke can lead to ozone issues over a broad area of the north-central region, as heat builds in from the western U.S. this week. AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham noted that "there will be episodes where the smoke can reach the lower levels of the atmosphere and affect visibility and air quality. That could be a safety concern for travel in extreme cases and pose health problems for some individuals with respiratory issues." The wildfires in Canada are burning in Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan, according to USA Today. There are multiple states in the path of Canadian wildfire smoke. Here is a list of potentially impacted states, according to USA Today:
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe storms to continue as calendar turns to June
Friday offered a break from thunderstorms in the Plains. The stormy corridor shifted back into the Plains on Saturday. Unfortunately for storm-weary residents, AccuWeather meteorologists say that more severe weather is on the way. Thunderstorms that are expected to form in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma on Saturday night will dive southward into Sunday morning. This could give residents of places like Oklahoma City an early wakeup call. From there, the storms will lose some of their intensity and may largely fall apart as they head toward Dallas by mid-morning on the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+ However, storms are likely to redevelop Sunday afternoon. While they could form as far north as Dallas, they can be a bit more numerous farther to the south. The focus will be in Texas, with cities such as Waco, Austin and Houston all in the risk zone for Sunday afternoon and evening. Hail, flooding and isolated tornadoes will all be possible. A much wider expanse of real estate will be at risk for severe weather on Monday. "A dynamic pair of storms set to march into the western United States this weekend are expected to work in tandem to prompt a risk for severe weather across the center of the nation on Monday, with hail, damaging winds and the potential for a few tornadoes being the main concerns," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. Other factors will come together to continue the severe weather into Tuesday and Wednesday. A fast-moving river of air in the upper atmosphere, known as the jet stream, will begin to strengthen over the Plains. In addition, warm and humid air will be flowing northward from the Gulf. A cold front moving eastward will also act as focusing mechanism for the thunderstorms. The cold front will collide with a preceding warm air mass. This difference in temperature will be another ingredient for the severe storms. The severe risk on Tuesday will extend from southwestern Wisconsin and western Illinois southwestward to northern Texas on Tuesday. This will be east of the area at risk the previous day. The front will continue eastward on Wednesday. One difference on Wednesday will be a loss of some of the energy in the atmosphere. While the initial energy weakens, a new storm will be moving into the southern Plains. "Another wave of low pressure is expected to roll out of the Rockies and into the central United States into midweek, which can keep the risk for severe weather in place across the center of the nation," said Buckingham. Even in the absence of severe weather, that new area of low pressure moving along the front will enhance rainfall. In parts of this area, the rainfall will help to alleviate a developing drought. Meanwhile, other places such as central and southern Missouri, southeastern Kansas and Oklahoma have had rainfall well above the historical average in May. For example, Springfield, Missouri, has received 7.57 inches of rain. Well over half of that came in just a three-day span. Therefore, some rivers and streams may be be elevated and any excessive rain could cause localized flooding. Showers and thunderstorms will continue to progress eastward to end the week. Meanwhile, the next cold front will be moving into the Plains by next weekend. AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to monitor any potential for severe weather with that front in the coming days. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Canada Wildfires 2025: Smoke to drift into U.S.—these states are on alert for poor air quality
Live Events FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Big wildfires are burning across Canada right now. The U.S. this weekend might see a clog of smoke, originating from wildfires in Canada. Weather experts in many states said the air could get worse and it might be hard to see clearly. Officials in the state of Illinois have warned that smoke might impact people with medical conditions as it reaches central which recently had a bad dust storm, might also be affected by wildfire smoke and more storms. Other states expected to be affected are Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Minnesota, Wyoming, and Iowa, according to The Independent in these states might see hazy skies and smell smoke, according to local weather offices. Brandon Buckingham, a meteorologist at AccuWeather, said the smoke will mostly stay high up, making the sun look dim and sunrises/sunsets more is happening nearly two years after smoke from Canada's worst fire season ever made New York City turn an eerie orange. This year, winds are blowing the smoke southeast, bringing it into the U.S. Wildfires release pollutants, especially PM2.5, a dangerous air pollutant that can go deep into the lungs and even enter the blood, as stated in the is a tiny dust from smoke. It can hurt your eyes and throat, make it hard to breathe, and even cause serious sickness like heart or lung problems. It also makes it harder for your body to fight off germs. Even being around smoke for a short time can worsen heart or breathing problems, especially for people with existing health issues, as per studies say PM2.5 exposure can cause health issues for up to 3 months after breathing it in. Dr. Yaguang Wei from Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine said even small fires lasting a few days can have long-term health effects. The wildfires in 2025 have already killed two people in Canada. Thousands of people had to leave their homes because of wildfires, as per Yahoo province has already declared an emergency on Thursday, with 175 active wildfires going on in Canada.12 new wildfires started just on Friday alone. Since the start of this year, over 700,000 acres of land have already fires are happening even before summer and follow the second-worst fire season of the century. The fires are worse this year because of climate change, which has caused extremely high temperatures. In Manitoba, the heat is 22 to 24.3 degrees above average, said Climate Central, a nonprofit group, as per western U.S. witnesses hot air bulbs next week, according to AccuWeather, it could mix with smoke and cause ozone problems across the north-central region. Adam Douty, another meteorologist from AccuWeather, said the Midwest will have sunny, dry days, making the smoke easier to see. Some smoke might also reach the Northeast, but because of clouds and rain there, it may not be as visible, as stated by The Independent like Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and more might have smoky can clog lungs and cause irregularities in breathing.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Canadian wildfire smoke expected to drift into US and harm air quality two years after New York engulfed by smog
Choking smoke billowing from deadly wildfires in Canada is heading toward the U.S. this weekend. Forecasters in multiple states warned residents to expect degraded air quality and reduced visibility. ' Smoke from wildfires in Canada is expected to overspread portions of central Illinois during today. This may result in reduced visibility at times and contribute to health concerns for people that are unusually sensitive to air pollution,' the National Weather Service in Lincoln said in a post on social media. Just under three hours away, the city of Chicago — which was recently hit with a historic dust storm — is also expected to see impacts, as well as more storms. "Most of the time, the smoke will be high-flying and dim the sun, leading to vivid sunrises and sunsets and causing a hazy appearance to the sky overhead," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said in a statement. The advisories come just under two years since smoke from Canada's worst fire season on record turned New York City an eerie burnt orange. This year, the smoke is being guided by steering winds that are blowing it to the southeast. Wildfires produce a mix of pollutants and particle pollution, which is also referred to as particulate matter. PM 2.5, which is considered to be a carcinogen, is the air pollutant of greatest concern to public health from wildfire smoke. It can travel deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. The health effects of this pollution can range from eye and throat irritation to heart failure and premature death. It may impact the body's ability to remove viruses or bacteria from the lungs. Even short-term exposures are linked to an increased risk of exacerbation of pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, recent research has found that PM.25 can have health effects for up to three months after exposure. 'Even brief exposures from smaller fires that last only a few days can lead to long-lasting health effects,' said Dr. Yaguang Wei, an assistant professor of environmental medicine at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine. The recent threat comes as massive blazes burning across Canada have killed two people and forced the evacuations of thousands. On Thursday, the province of Manitoba declared a state of emergency. There are 175 active wildfires and 12 that cropped up on Friday. Since the year's start, more than 700,000 acres have gone up in flames. The pre-summer fires come following the second-worst fire season of the century. The 2025 fires have also been fueled by climate change-driven heat. In Manitoba, temperatures have exceeded the average by as much as 22 to 24.3 degrees, according to nonprofit Climate Central. As heat builds in from the western U.S. next week, AccuWeather said that the hot air and any lingering smoke may also lead to ozone issues over a broad area of the north-central region. "Most of these areas in the Midwest will have days where there is little or no rain around and the sun is out over the weekend. So the smoke will be more noticeable," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said. "The smoke may reach into the Northeast as well, but with extensive clouds and showers this weekend, the smoky haze may be mixed in and not so obvious."
