National Weather Service issues air quality alert Wednesday due to fire in Nova Scotia
The National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality Alert through Wednesday for much of the Philadelphia region due to expected effects of wildfire smoke from Nova Scotia.
Sensitive groups should take precautions if going outdoors, according to the NWS of Mount Holly New Jersey.
An Air Quality Alert has been issued for a large portion of our area (in gray) through Wednesday. This is due to expected effects at the surface of wildfire smoke from Nova Scotia. Sensitive groups should take precautions if going outdoors! pic.twitter.com/zOFg2FlIGB
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) May 30, 2023
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a "Code Orange Air Quality" alert due to fine particulate matter associated with the fire for much of the region including the Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley-Berks and Susquehanna Valley areas through Wednesday.
Children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis are vulnerable to the effects of poor air quality and should limit outdoor activity, according to the state DEP.
In Delaware, the Division of Air Quality said air quality was acceptable but there may be a risk for for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
DEP Declares Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for Fine Particulate Matter for Wednesday, May 31, 2023, in Multiple Areas of Pennsylvania: https://t.co/HVjgSVChhG
• The Philadelphia Area
• The Lehigh Valley-Berks Area
• The Susquehanna Valley Area pic.twitter.com/pOoO1nqV5j— PA Department of Environmental Protection (@PennsylvaniaDEP) May 30, 2023
Where is Nova Scotia?
Wildfire #smoke from #Halifax, Nova Scotia, has created poor air quality and hazy skies across parts of the #Northeast. As of Wednesday morning, New York #NYwx, New Jersey #NJwx and Pennsylvania #PAwx have all recorded poor air quality: https://t.co/sCNU3o3Vgj pic.twitter.com/MFfFtqYaqj
— Breaking Weather by AccuWeather (@breakingweather) May 31, 2023
The wildfire on Canada’s Atlantic coast has damaged about 200 houses and other structures and prompted the evacuation of 16,000 people, many of whom were eager to return Tuesday to see whether homes and pets had survived.
Firefighters worked through Tuesday night to extinguish hotspots in the fire that started in the Halifax area on Sunday, Halifax Deputy Fire Chief David Meldrum said. He said it was too early to give an exact count of homes destroyed, but the municipal government put the toll at about 200 buildings.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Air quality alert issued by NWS on Wednesday due to Nova Scotia fire
