Wednesday, June 7, 2023 5:54PM
NEW YORK (WABC) — Heavy smoke from wildfires in Canada have turned skies into a dull haze and now flights in the New York City area are being impacted.
The FAA is slowing flight traffic in and out of Newark and LaGuardia airports on Wednesday afternoon.
There is currently a ground stop in place at LGA, meaning some flights are being held at their origin airport to ease congestion, but not all.
The FAA says the average delay at EWR is about 84 minutes due to low visibility.
Reporter Josh Einiger recorded the “surreal scene” as his plane landed at LaGuardia:
Health officials are urging area residents to limit outdoor activities on Wednesday as air quality is expected to remain at “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” levels with no improvements until Thursday at the earliest.
The smoke is making for potentially dangerous conditions, especially for people with respiratory issues. Exposure to elevated fine particle pollution levels can affect the lungs and heart.
RELATED | Interactive map to track air quality across the New York City region
ALSO READ | New York City air quality reaches dangerous levels due to Canadian wildfire smoke
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