A map shared by AirNow on Monday showed the horrific extent to which Canadian wildfires are ruining America’s summers.
AirNow’s Fire and Smoke map appears to show a huge cloud of wildfire coating almost all of the U.S., including what seems to be large parts of our surrounding oceans, and all you’ve got to do is look outside to see how bad it really is. Some 67 million Americans are currently under an air quality alert, stretching from the Northeast all the way down to Atlanta, Georgia, according to Fox News. But judging by the map, these alerts should be covering far more of the country.
#Wildfire smoke is impacting several parts of the U.S. today. Check the @AIRNow Fire and Smoke Map, available in Spanish and English, to find your local air quality and steps you can take to protect your health. https://t.co/qorSbsMGvQ. pic.twitter.com/ksgMNV9vYO
— airnow (@AIRNow) July 17, 2023
It’s unclear precisely what impact the smoke layers have on the U.S., aside from ruining our summer (and making our eyes itchy, lungs sore, etc), but the entire nation seems to be under some kind of weather or air warning at the time of writing. Parts of Montana, Illinois, Kentucky and the western part of the lakes region are bracing for torrential downpours that could reach between 4 to 8 inches, the National Weather Service reported.
At the same time, parts of the southern U.S. are suffocating under extremely hot conditions, NWS continued. (RELATED: Officials Warn Wildfire Smoke May Last Through September In US)
Even with these extreme weather warnings, a NASA map of the wildfires burning across Canada seemingly shows the entire country ablaze. While Fox might forecast that air quality will improve over the coming days, this doesn’t seem possible given the data provided by these agencies.