Air quality alert issued for all of Michigan because of Canadian wildfires
Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to bring poor air quality to all of Michigan on Thursday. Winds out of the North and Northwest ushered in the smoke late Tuesday.
Overnight and early morning rain and low clouds helped to trap smoke in the lower levels of the atmosphere.
As of Thursday evening, Detroit is among the 10 worst air quality cities in the world.
There is an air quality alert for all of Southeast Michigan until midnight Saturday, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy reported. Pollutants across the state are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG, Orange AQI) range Wednesday and Thursday, with some locations reaching the Unhealthy (Red AQI) range.
This is what is contributing to poor air quality on Thursday.
Wildfire smoke from Canada moved into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Tuesday and the Lower Peninsula on Wednesday morning.
Anyone with respiratory issues or trouble breathing will need to try staying indoors as much as possible until Friday.
Monitor any coughing or problems breathing.
Try not to burn anything outdoors and keep windows closed overnight.
Rain along a front and winds behind it will help to move some, if not all, of the smoke out by the end of the week.