New Yorkers share pictures of apocalyptic orange sky, high pollution levels

Smoke from wildfires in Canada crossed over to the US’s East Coast and Midwest area.

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Climate change and weather-related phenomena knows no man-made boundaries. This is being seen very clearly in New York where the sky has turned dark orange due to wildfires that are raging more than 800 kilometres away in Quebec, Canada.

According to PBS, on Tuesday, Canada sought international help to tackle more than 400 wildfires raging across the nation, which has already led to the displacement of over 20,000 people.

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The air quality in US’s East Coast and Midwest plummeted to very poor and hazardous earlier this week. Many cities, including New York, were engulfed in polluted haze. New York authorities paused outdoor activities, advised people to use N95 masks, and ordered the immediate closing of schools.

.@NYCMayor distributes masks to @NYCHA residents during the ongoing #AirQualityHealthAdvisory in New York City. pic.twitter.com/AuTM6wJWxz

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) June 8, 2023

On Thursday, NYC Mayor’s Office tweeted Air Quality Health Advisory and wrote, “We are expecting air quality to continue to deteriorate throughout tomorrow and the Air Quality Health Advisory remains in effect until late Thursday night. Mask up — especially our older New Yorkers and young children, and anyone with breathing or heart issues. Limit your outdoor activities to the absolute necessities.”

The bad air quality also forced actor Jodie Comer to stop her Broadway show performance of the one-woman play Prima Facie on Wednesday afternoon, after she began coughing on the stage and complained of breathing difficulty. The show was paused and started again after actor Dani Arlington performed instead of Comer.

The color of the New York sky right now…. It looks like a nuke was dropped and smells like mesquite bbq…. pic.twitter.com/XvIe18xm29

— MAC DADDY BLACC (@COACHBOMBAY3000) June 7, 2023

Surreal scenes in the skies above #NYC today as #wildfire smoke smothers the city in hues of fiery orange. #NewYork #wildfires #AirQuality pic.twitter.com/qfk6vuKljf

— Inga Sarda-Sorensen (@isardasorensen) June 8, 2023

BREAKING: the sky in new york city has turned orange to promote ed sheeran’s album ‘+’ pic.twitter.com/9xauD8XFuj

— maeve ⋆ (@shutupmaeve) June 7, 2023

Tonight’s Yankees-White Sox game (Wednesday, June 7) is rescheduled because of poor air quality due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires and will be made up tomorrow, Thursday, June 8, as the first game of a single-admission doubleheader, which will begin at 4:05pm. pic.twitter.com/nx1WxqUaTU

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 7, 2023

Before-and-after views show New York City landmarks on a typical clear day, compared to this week — which saw smoke from the Canadian wildfires engulfing the skies over much of the Northeast. https://t.co/sDJ0FmQWlB pic.twitter.com/WZAxz0YecY

— ABC News (@ABC) June 7, 2023

The air quality in New York City is horrifying. Quebec is *400 miles* away but you can smell burning wood in every corner of New York as if it's right here in town. The sky is ominous and post-apocalyptic dark yellow-green. It's so intense that it stings your eyes.

— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) June 6, 2023

#AirQualityAlert #Manhattan #NewYork #Philadelphia

If the East Coast sky had a face pic.twitter.com/Co3wGZL4fC

— itsallrealitv (@itsallrealitv) June 7, 2023

“Apple Yellow Sky” Video of the sky in New York pic.twitter.com/hTgLj1cF9d

— Missycreatively (@Melissa64261899) June 8, 2023

New York turning their sky orange to celebrate the RHOC premiere 🥹🧡

— Aidan (@aidanthereup) June 7, 2023

Many New Yorkers took to Twitter to share dystopian images and videos of the hazy orange New York sky. Sharing one such picture of sepia-coloured NYC, a Twitter user wrote, “New York sky currently. Locked inside when it is technically supposed to be a sunny day. Can’t even see the water, can only see a few neighbors houses. Air is a thick orange and smells like a campfire.”

Another person tweeted, “The air quality in New York City is horrifying. Quebec is 400 miles away but you can smell burning wood in every corner of New York as if it’s right here in town. The sky is ominous and post-apocalyptic dark yellow-green. It’s so intense that it stings your eyes.”