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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Maya Yang

US temperatures continue to rise as millions affected by extreme heat and wildfire smoke – as it happened

United States Kathy Hochul Texas
A pedestrian wearing a face mask is seen with the US Capitol building shrouded in haze in the background in Washington, DC
Smoke from over 450 Canadian wildfires continues to envelop US cities, including Washington DC. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

Closing Summary

Here is a wrap-up of the day’s key events:

  • Oil and gas companies in West Texas released hundreds of tons of toxic gases into the air last week as a record-breaking heatwave drove pressure inside pipelines and compressors to dangerously high levels. In order to avoid explosions, operators release gas into the air, including the potent greenhouse gas methane, which traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Methane also contributes to ground-level ozone pollution, which can cause breathing problems and other health issues.

  • The National Weather Service has recommended keeping strenuous activity to a minimum as a record-breaking heatwave sweeps across multiple states. In addition to using a buddy system, the NWS urged individuals to limit exercising outdoors during the hottest parts of the day.

  • A handful of events across northeastern US and Canada have been cancelled due to poor air quality. The events ranged from Pride events to live horse races as well as concerts.

  • The National Weather Service has issued a fireworks warning as the country heads into next week and Independence Day with record-breaking temperatures across the country. “In addition to the increasing temperatures, fire danger will also be increasing as we head into next week and Independence Day. Please be safe with fireworks and review any and all burn bans in your area,” it said.

  • Excessive heat warning and advisories have been issued across much of California into the desert southwest, the National Weather Service announced on Friday. “The interior valleys of central and northern California will see afternoon temperatures climbing well up into the 100s to near 110 degrees at the hottest locations on Saturday, while the Desert Southwest will see high temperatures reaching well up into the 110s. These temperatures will increase the risk of heat-related illnesses in these areas by this weekend,” the NWS said.

  • The Pennsylvania department of environmental protection has declared Friday a Statewide Code Orange Air Quality Action Day. The average air quality index reading for the entire day will likely be in the code orange range although some local conditions could be in code red, the PDEP said.

  • Three US cities rank highest in the world for the worst air quality and pollution as of Friday morning. According to IQAir, New York City ranked number one with an air quality index of 157, which IQAir has categorized as “unhealthy.” Washington DC and Chicago came in fourth and fifth, with AQIs of 124 and 108, respectively. Both cities’ air qualities have been deemed as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

  • Just three weeks after New York was shrouded in an apocalyptic layer of smoky yellow haze, the state has once again issued an air quality alert for all five boroughs. The alert, which governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday, is set to last until 11:59pm Friday.

That’s it from me, Maya Yang, as we wrap up the blog for today. Thank you for following along.

The Laborers’ International Union of North America urged its signatory contractors to understand the hazards of wildfire smoke and implement necessary controls to ensure the safety of workers.

The union also proposed the option of wearable technology, which, “depending on the product…have the ability to deliver valuable information about workers’ health, including their risk for heat illness.”

The National Weather Service Prediction Center has issued several key messages on the southern US heatwave, including heat-related physical danger.

The heatwave, which has reached triple digits, is expected to slide eastward this weekend before relaxing early next week, the NWS said.

The New York division of homeland security and emergency services has issues a map of the air quality levels across the state.

The majority of western New York is currently categorized as “unhealthy.”

The Tri-County Office on Aging, a nonprofit organization based in Lansing, Michigan announced the cancellation of a downtown east Lansing Pride event tonight.

The event, which would have featured live music, drag music, giveaways and vendors, was cancelled “due to continuing air quality advisory,” the group said.

According to AirNow, the air quality in Lansing is currently “moderate.”

“If you are unusually sensitive to particle pollution, consider reducing your activity level or shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors,” AirNow said.

An excessive heat warning issued in Memphis by the National Weather Service will continue through Friday.

Temperatures are expected to top 110F, the NWS reports.

It also urged residents to practice heat safety wherever they are by limiting outdoor activities, taking breaks on outdoor job sites, checking up on the elderly, sick and those without AC, and never leaving vehicles unattended.

Democracy Prep Public Schools in New York City have postponed their family ice cream social due to the smokey haze currently shrouding the city.

“Due to the poor air quality conditions in NYC, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone today’s Ice Cream Social,” the network consisting of multiple public charter schools in the city tweeted.

Texas pipeline operators released hundreds of tons of toxic gases into air as state battles heatwave

Oil and gas companies in West Texas released hundreds of tons of toxic gases into the air last week as a record-breaking heatwave drove pressure inside pipelines and compressors to dangerously high levels.

Insider Climate News reports:

One company, Houston-based Targa Resources, alone released more than half a million pounds of gas into the air during at least 17 reported events over a seven-day period, according to records filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

In one instance, the $17 billion company vented 238,000 pounds of gas when facilities in its pipeline network dialed back operations “to prevent them from shutting down due to high ambient temperature.” In another, it released 168,000 pounds “to prevent compressor units from overheating due to high ambient temperature.”

“These are just huge, major release events,” said Wilma Subra, an environmental chemist and MacArthur fellow in Louisiana, who reviewed the data for Inside Climate News. “That gas contains a whole host of chemicals that cause cancer and chronic diseases.”

A searing heat wave in June broke temperature records across Texas. Because gas expands as it warms, the weather caused sharp pressure increases inside the pipeline systems that carry West Texas gas to refineries, power plants and other customers.

In order to avoid explosions, operators release gas into the air, including the potent greenhouse gas methane, which traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Methane also contributes to ground-level ozone pollution, which can cause breathing problems and other health issues.

For the full story at Inside Climate News, click here.

WA Parish Generating Station, a natural gas and coal power plant, in Fort Bend County near Houston, Texas on June 25, 2023.
WA Parish Generating Station, a natural gas and coal power plant, in Fort Bend County near Houston, Texas on June 25, 2023. Photograph: Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Emergency cell phone alerts will be used to warn New Yorkers in case the air quality index meets or exceeds 200.

According to governor Kathy Hochul’s office, the alerts will also go out if the air quality gets classified as “very unhealthy” air and is sustained for an hour or more.

Currently, air quality index levels are forecast to range from “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “unhealthy” for ll during this time.

New York state department of health commissioner James McDonald urged people in sensitive groups to stay indoors, saying:

“As we can see and smell in much of the state, air quality across large portions of New York is currently unhealthy; New Yorkers who are especially sensitive to elevated levels of pollutants, including the very young and those with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease or asthma, should avoid spending time outdoors, if possible, in areas where the AQI is over 100.

If you must go outdoors in areas that have air that is unhealthy or worse, consider wearing an N95 mask. Those who experience symptoms, or have symptoms that worsen, should consider consulting their health care provider.”

Here are images of the north-east as states including New York, Illinois and New Jersey remain covered in varying layers of smoke and haze:

A man walks along Pittsburgh's Mount Washington as smoke from raging Canadian wildfires creates hazy skies, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. June 28, 2023.
A man walks along Pittsburgh's Mount Washington as smoke from raging Canadian wildfires creates hazy skies, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. June 28, 2023. Photograph: Quinn Glabicki/Reuters
Pidgeons fly in front of a billboard during hazy air from Canadian wildfire smoke in New York City June 30, 2023.
Pidgeons fly in front of a billboard during hazy air from Canadian wildfire smoke in New York City June 30, 2023. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images
Smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets Washington, DC, in haze, United States - 29 Jun 2023
Smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets Washington, DC, in haze, United States - 29 Jun 2023 Photograph: Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
People carry on with their daily lives as the air quality is at unhealthy levels due to smoke from Canadian wildfires in New York, United States on June 29, 2023.
People carry on with their daily lives as the air quality is at unhealthy levels due to smoke from Canadian wildfires in New York, United States on June 29, 2023. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A sailboat makes its way across the Chesapeake Bay through a the thick layer of smoke that has blanketed the area from Canadian wildfires, in Stevensville, Maryland, on June 29, 2023.
A sailboat makes its way across the Chesapeake Bay through a the thick layer of smoke that has blanketed the area from Canadian wildfires, in Stevensville, Maryland, on June 29, 2023. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

The National Weather Service has recommended keeping strenuous activity to a minimum as a record-breaking heatwave sweeps across multiple states.

In addition to using a buddy system, the NWS urged individuals to limit exercising outdoors during the hottest parts of the day.

Tell us: have you been affected by extreme weather in the US?

We would like to hear from people across North America about how they have been affected by recent extreme heatwaves and smoke from Canadian wildfires.

You can tell us how you have been affected and share your experiences by messaging us or using this form in the link below:

With New York City shrouded in a smokey haze over the last few days, swarms of tiny bugs appear to have been flying across the city.

Videos posted onto Twitter shows clusters of small insects flying frantically in multiple boroughs including Brooklyn and Manhattan.

“While scientists have yet to confirm where exactly the bugs came from, it’s possible that they could be Pyrophilous insects: species like the Microsania that are attracted to smoky, post-fire landscapes for mating and resources,” the Gothamist reports.

Temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona are going to reach triple digits this weekend, with the highest being 116F on Sunday and Monday, ACB15 Arizona reports.

Excessive heat warning effects have been issued for the entire Phoenix metro area and they’ll remain in effect all through July 4th.

Events cancelled across US and Canada due to poor air quality

A handful of events across northeastern US and Canada have been cancelled due to poor air quality.

The arts and community-oriented organization, The Laundromat Project, has cancelled its Friday Pride social event in Brooklyn, New York where an air quality alert has been issued.

The Washington DC-based organization Wolf Trap which showcases a series of art performances has cancelled its sold-out concert tonight featuring English songwriter Robert Plant and American singer Alison Krauss.

In Toronto, Canada, the live horse-racing event at Woodbine Racetrack has been cancelled today, as Environment Canada’s air quality index for Toronto is listed as “High Risk.”

Another horse-racing event at the Maryland Jockey Club in Laurel, Maryland has been cancelled for today and rescheduled to July 6.

According to the Maryland department of health, the air quality across the state as of Thursday was at “unhealthy levels.”

Here is a look at the varying air quality levels across northeastern states earlier this morning.

New York City has since topped Toronto as the city with the worst air quality in the world, with Washington DC and Chicago coming in fourth and fifth, according to air quality tracker IQAir.

air quality
air quality Photograph: IQ Air

Here are some pictures coming across the newswires of the heatwave in Texas:

Emergency Medical Technicians William Dorsey and Omar Amezcua assist a person after he called in for chest pain on June 29, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. The patient called in reporting chest pain after working outside for hours. Maverick County Law Enforcement and paramedics are responding to larger volumes of medical-related calls as temperatures soar across the region.
Emergency Medical Technicians William Dorsey and Omar Amezcua assist a person after he called in for chest pain on June 29, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. The patient called in reporting chest pain after working outside for hours. Maverick County Law Enforcement and paramedics are responding to larger volumes of medical-related calls as temperatures soar across the region. Photograph: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Tubers float along the cool Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas, Thursday, June 29, 2023. Meteorologists say scorching temperatures brought on by a heat dome have taxed the Texas power grid and threaten to bring record highs to the state.
Tubers float along the cool Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas, Thursday, June 29, 2023. Meteorologists say scorching temperatures brought on by a heat dome have taxed the Texas power grid and threaten to bring record highs to the state. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP
Workers repair a power line on Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Houston. An unrelenting heat wave in Texas is testing the state’s power grid as demand soars during a second week of triple-digit temperatures.
Workers repair a power line on Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Houston. An unrelenting heat wave in Texas is testing the state’s power grid as demand soars during a second week of triple-digit temperatures. Photograph: David J Phillip/AP
Texas state organizer Erandi Trevino walks through a greenhouse at her home and also Verandi Secret Garden plant nursery in Houston, Texas on June 27, 2023. Extreme temperatures have combined with habitual smog in Houston for more than two weeks, and Erandi Trevino feels the hazardous combination in her body. “It burns my face. I feel it in my nostrils,” Trevino says.
Texas state organizer Erandi Trevino walks through a greenhouse at her home and also Verandi Secret Garden plant nursery in Houston, Texas on June 27, 2023. Extreme temperatures have combined with habitual smog in Houston for more than two weeks, and Erandi Trevino feels the hazardous combination in her body. “It burns my face. I feel it in my nostrils,” Trevino says. Photograph: Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images

The National Weather Service has issued a fireworks warning as the country heads into next week and Independence Day with record-breaking temperatures across the country.

“In addition to the increasing temperatures, fire danger will also be increasing as we head into next week and Independence Day. Please be safe with fireworks and review any and all burn bans in your area,” it said.

Excessive heat warning and advisories have been issued across much of California into the desert southwest, the National Weather Service announced on Friday.

The warnings and advisories also cover the lower and mid-Mississippi valley.

“The interior valleys of central and northern California will see afternoon temperatures climbing well up into the 100s to near 110 degrees at the hottest locations on Saturday, while the Desert Southwest will see high temperatures reaching well up into the 110s. These temperatures will increase the risk of heat-related illnesses in these areas by this weekend,” the NWS said.

The Pennsylvania department of environmental protection has declared Friday a Statewide Code Orange Air Quality Action Day.

The average air quality index reading for the entire day will likely be in the code orange range although some local conditions could be in code red, the PDEP said.

Code orange covers young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis.

Three US cities rank highest globally for worst air quality

Three US cities rank highest in the world for the worst air quality and pollution as of Friday morning.

According to IQAir, New York City ranked number one with an air quality index of 157, which IQAir has categorized as “unhealthy.”

Washington DC and Chicago came in fourth and fifth, with AQIs of 124 and 108, respectively. Both cities’ air qualities have been deemed as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

Updated

With Texas struggling with the record heatwave currently enveloping the state, construction workers who continue to work outside are grappling with high temperatures while others have walked out on their jobs.

The Guardian’s Michael Sainato reports:

Last week as the heat dome scorched Texas, Gloria Machuca arrived for work at a McDonald’s in Houston to find the air conditioning wasn’t working. The temperature inside the restaurant was similar to the temperature outside – at least 90F. It was 7.30am.

Temperatures would rise another 10 degrees that day but already, Machuca said, the intense heat was making her eyes burn. She and five of her co-workers walked out on their jobs.

A third week of a record-breaking heatwave has placed at least 40 million people in the US under heat alerts, with numerous Texas cities experiencing unprecedented heat.

Many workers in Texas and throughout the southern US currently have no heat protection while working outdoors, exposed to the sun and intense, prolonged heat.

“When I came in, it really was so hot. I decided I need to go on strike. I told my co-workers because it is way too hot here and I knew they were all extremely hot as well,” said Machuca.

“If we don’t work, they don’t make money. They’re making money off our sweat and it’s not fair,” she said. “It’s time they truly value us.”

For the full story, click here:

Hands Only CPR has issued a warning on how heat stroke can cause sudden cardiac arrest.

“If someone around you suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, take fast action. Call 911 and begin hands-only CPR. After resuscitation, patients should be checked for heat stroke by taking a core temperature,” it said.

An excessive heat warning in Memphis will continue through Saturday with a few severe storms forecast to possibly occur near the Tennessee river, the National Weather Service said.

Numerous parts of Tennessee have reached triple digit temperatures. As of Friday 5am, Nashville saw 114F while Memphis saw 115F.

Just three weeks after New York was shrouded in an apocalyptic layer of smoky yellow haze, the state has once again issued an air quality alert for all five boroughs.

The alert, which governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday, is set to last until 11:59pm Friday.

“With ground-level smoke more visible and air quality continuing to reach unhealthy levels in many parts of the state, we encourage New Yorkers to take precautions to protect their health,” Hochul said.

“We will continue to keep our communities informed of the steps people can take to stay safe outdoors and adapt as forecasts continue to evolve,” she added.

Smoke is expected to remain across the state for most of Friday. Longer-range smoke forecast modeling shows “steady clearing and diffusing” from south to north across the state into Saturday morning, the governor’s office said.

Smoke shrouds the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center as the sun rises in New York City on June 30, 2023, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey.
Smoke shrouds the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center as the sun rises in New York City on 30 June as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. Photograph: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

Updated

Millions under air quality and excessive heat alerts as Canadian wildfire smoke and temperatures rise

Good morning,

Welcome back to our live coverage of the extreme heatwaves and poor air quality spreading across the US.

With smoke from over 450 Canadian wildfires continuing to drift southward, numerous states have labelled their air quality as “unhealthy” or “very unhealthy”. Numerous east coast cities including New York, Detroit, Chicago and Washington DC have been enveloped in a smoky haze in recent days, with authorities cautioning elderly people and those with respiratory issues from participating in outdoor activities.

Meanwhile, southern states continue to grapple with a record-breaking heatwave that have propelled temperatures to the triple digits and put enormous strains on power grids, as seen in Texas. At least 13 deaths have occurred as a result of the deadly heatwave in Texas. According to meteorologists, the current heatwave expanding across the country has been made five times more likely by the climate crisis.

Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates from across the region.

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