Latest news with #IQAir
Express Tribune
35 minutes ago
- Science
- Express Tribune
100 air quality monitors to be installed
The Punjab government is set to install 100 air quality monitors across the province, significantly up from just three in previous years. Punjab Secretary for Environment Protection and Climate Change, Silwat Saeed, said during a media briefing that 60 air quality monitors have already been installed, and the remaining 40 will be in place by the end of the financial year. "Our total target is 100 monitors, and the cost this year is estimated between Rs3 to Rs4 billion," she said. She said, "Taking the number from 3 to 100 is a massive leap. This wouldn't have been possible without extensive groundwork and strong support from international partners." She announced that from next month, air quality data would be made accessible to the public via a live dashboard. "Our air quality monitors are linked with IQAir, so people can get real-time data online," she said. Highlighting technological upgrades, the secretary said the department has digitised industrial inspection systems using artificial intelligence. "Previously, inspectors had to physically visit industrial units. Now, with AI integration, we can detect emissions remotely and identify violations in real time." She said 15 fog cannons have been deployed in Lahore on a test basis.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Climate
- Forbes
Canadian Wildfire Smoke: New York City Faces Air Quality Advisory for Second Day in a Row
New York City and other parts of the Northeast were placed under air quality alerts for the second day in a row as smoke from the wildfires burning in Canada again brings hazardous conditions to the region. New York City was placed under an air quality health advisory over the weekend. AFP via Getty Images New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley will all experience air quality within the 101-150 range on the air quality index Sunday, the state's Department of Environmental Conservation forecasted—meaning the air could contain fine particles and could be 'unhealthy for sensitive groups.' Sensitive groups include very young children and adults with preexisting conditions like asthma and heart disease, the New York State Department of Health said, recommending these individuals limit 'strenuous outdoor physical activity.' The state issued an Air Quality Health Advisory on Saturday afternoon as smoke began blanketing the region, and extended the warning through Sunday evening at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Parts of New Jersey, New England and Quebec could also experience similar air quality conditions, according to online tracker IQAir. 120. That was the air quality reading for New York City as of around 11 a.m. EDT on Sunday morning—the eighth worst among major cities in the world, according to IQAir, and the worst in North America. Key Background The smoke blanketing the Northeast over the weekend is primarily the result of massive wildfires burning in Canada. Over 3,300 have burned over 5.6 million hectares across Canada year-to-date, according to the Canadian Interagency Fire Centre's most recent report. Canada has suffered from severe wildfires since a record-breaking 2023 wildfire season, when fires burning in Quebec blanketed New York City in an orange haze. Earlier this month, a group of Republican members of Congress from Wisconsin and Minnesota wrote to Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., asking the country for more information about how it planned to combat the fires and implying a 'lack of active forest management' played a role in exacerbating the situation. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, the leader of the Canadian province where wildfires forced thousands to evacuate and trapped and killed two people in a rural area in May, criticized the group as 'ambulance chasers' and challenged them to visit and support the American firefighters involved in battling the blazes on the Canadian side of the border. The air quality readings in New York this weekend are just a fraction of what was recorded in 2023, when readings spiked above 400—a level considered hazardous for the entire population.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- New York Times
Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Wafts Over New York City
Officials warned that smoke-filled air would blanket the New York City area on Sunday, creating unhealthy conditions for some, as soot and ash from Canadian wildfires drifted across the border. The air quality health advisory, issued on Saturday, will expire on Sunday night, the National Weather Service said. On Saturday, parts of the city reached 136 on the Air Quality Index, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company, briefly making it one of the cities in the United States with the worst air quality. Parts of Massachusetts and New Jersey were also under air quality advisories on Saturday. The index in New York City was predicted to reach a maximum of 120 on Sunday, putting it in the classification of 'unhealthy for sensitive groups,' according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The index could reach 135 in the Upper Hudson Valley and 120 on Long Island. Maps: Tracking Air Quality and Smoke From Wildfires in Canada and the U.S. See maps of where smoke is traveling and how harmful the air has become. The Weather Service advised vulnerable groups, which includes young children and those who have respiratory ailments, to take precautions like limiting strenuous outdoor activity. An index reading of below 50 is considered good. A reading of above 150 means the air is considered 'unhealthy,' and the ill effects might be felt more widely by healthy people. For weeks, smoke from wildfires in Canada has been drifting across the border to the United States during its annual fire season, which usually runs from March to October. Wildfires are a common cause of extended periods of unhealthy air, and fine particles of soot, ash and dust can billow high in the air and be blown for hundreds of miles by prevailing winds. The drifting smoke from Canada's fires has become a growing issue in the United States in recent years. In 2023, wildfires burned more land in Canada than ever before, and created smoke so intense that it turned the skies over New York City a frightening shade of orange. Experts have warned that climate change was turning environments like Canada's forests into a tinderbox. This year, smoke from Canada's wildfires has again drifted south across the U.S. border, inflaming diplomatic relations. This month, six Republican lawmakers wrote to Canada's ambassador to the United States, demanding to know the Canadian government's plan for tackling the wildfires and accusing it of lax forest management. The premier of Manitoba Province in Western Canada, where wildfires have been particularly bad, blasted the letter, accusing the U.S. lawmakers of 'trying to trivialize and make hay out of a wildfire season where we've lost lives in our province.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Montreal tops world pollution rankings as wildfire smoke chokes the city
Montreal has recorded the worst air quality in the world as thick smoke from wildfires in Canada's Prairies continues to drift across the country. Data from Swiss monitoring company IQAir on Saturday(July 26) ranked Montreal as the most polluted city globally, surpassing major industrial centres. The smoke, carried east by strong winds, has triggered air quality alerts across southern Quebec, prompting health officials to urge residents to limit outdoor activity. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Technology Product Management MCA Finance Healthcare Project Management Degree Leadership Cybersecurity PGDM Data Science CXO Design Thinking Others Data Science healthcare MBA Artificial Intelligence others Digital Marketing Management Data Analytics Operations Management Public Policy Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details Environment Canada has advised vulnerable groups, including those with heart or lung conditions, older adults, pregnant women, infants and young children, to avoid strenuous exercise outdoors this weekend. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Struggling With Belly Fat? Try This at Home Home Fitness Hack Shop Now Undo Heatwave compounds risks The poor air quality comes as southern Quebec faces a heat warning. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise above 30C through Tuesday, with nights staying warmer than 20 °C. The combination of heat and heavy smoke is increasing the risk of dehydration, breathing problems and heat-related illnesses. Live Events Fires burning hundreds of kilometres away The haze originates from hundreds of active wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, part of what is already one of Canada's most severe fire seasons on record. Plumes of smoke have travelled thousands of kilometres, affecting air quality as far east as Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. In Montreal, the sky appeared hazy on Saturday, with a smell of burning wood lingering in the air. Some residents reported irritation in their eyes and throat. Local clinics have reported an increase in patients with respiratory symptoms. Community centres are reminding people to use air conditioning in recirculate mode and, where possible, wear N95 masks when outdoors. Officials warn the situation could persist if wind conditions do not change. Meteorologists say air quality may fluctuate in the coming days, but the heatwave is expected to continue into next week. Canada has already seen record numbers of wildfire-related evacuations this year, and authorities fear the season could extend well into August.
CBC
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Environment Canada issues air quality warnings across southern Quebec
Environment Canada has issued air quality warnings across southern Quebec due to smoke from wildfires in the Canadian Prairies. IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, on Saturday morning ranked Montreal as the city with the worst air quality in the world. By early afternoon, it had dropped to second place behind Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. People should limit their time outdoors and reschedule sports and other outdoor events, Environment Canada says. "During heavy smoke conditions, everyone's health is at risk regardless of their age or health status," the weather agency said in an air quality warning issued Saturday. Air quality in Quebec is expected to improve Saturday evening and reach more normal levels on Sunday. The smoke will then move toward New Brunswick and the northeastern United States. A stagnant air mass contributed to the intensity of the smoke on Saturday, but improved air circulation is expected on Sunday. Environment Canada says those most vulnerable include people with existing health conditions, seniors, pregnant women, infants, and young children, and that they should avoid strenuous outdoor activities and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms. Mild symptoms include eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and mild coughing. More serious symptoms include wheezing, chest pains and severe coughing. Environment Canada says people should keep windows and doors closed as much as possible while indoors. Wearing N95 masks outdoors can reduce exposure to fine particles, the agency says. Heat warnings are also in effect in southern Quebec for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, with temperatures expected to top 30 C during the day and remain above 20 C at night. The weather agency recommends checking on elderly people and those living alone, and to watch for early signs of heat exhaustion, including headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue.
