Students in New York City have been told to stay at home another day as smoke from Canadian wildfires continue to smother the city.
Instead pupils are being asked to study from home.
A spokesperson for NYC Public Schools wrote: "Friday, June 9 will be a remote-instruction day for the students who were scheduled to be at our schools.
"Additionally, it will be another remote-work day for staff—including school-based, district, and central staff."
With weather systems expected to barely budge, the smoky blanket covering large swathes of the US should carry on into Thursday and possibly the weekend.
US National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey said:“Conditions are likely to remain unhealthy, at least until the wind direction changes or the fires get put out.
“Since the fires are raging — they’re really large — they’re probably going to continue for weeks. But it’s really just going be all about the wind shift.”
Officials have warned residents to stay inside and limit or avoid outdoor activities, extending “Code Red” air quality alerts in some places for a third straight day.
The smoke has moved over Greenland and Iceland since June 1, and was expected to reach Norway on Thursday, the Norwegian Climate and Environmental Research Institute said, but wasn’t expected to be a health concern.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state was making a million N95 masks — the kind prevalent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — available at state facilities, including 400,000 in New York City. She also urged residents to stay put.
Similar steps have been taken in other cities affected by the smog.
In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered schools to cancel outdoor recess, sports and field trips Thursday.
In suburban Philadelphia, officials set up an emergency shelter so people living outside can take refuge from the haze.
Over 400 fires continue to burn across Canada, according to Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair.
The heavy smoke has also caused delays at Newark and JFK airports.
The “Code Red” air quality alert has been extended and is in place for a third day as forecasts show smoky winds are continuing to push the 'hazardous' air south.
