Concerts, baseball games, and flights in the East and Midwest are among the cancellations being wrought by the excessive smoke from more than 400 Canadian wildfires.
The orange haze has residents in those areas once again wearing masks left over from the pandemic, as unhealthy air pollutants made breathing difficult. The air quality index, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency metric for air pollution, exceeded 400 at times in New York and Pennsylvania. A level of 50 or under is considered good; anything over 300 is considered “hazardous,” when even healthy people are advised to curtail outdoor physical activity.
Already postponed are Major League Baseball games between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox in New York, and the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers in Philadelphia. Those games will be made up on Thursday. Tonight’s Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks in Washington, D.C. will be played, officials said.
In New York, the opening night of the Prospect Park Bandshell featuring Taj Mahal was canceled. New York City beaches were closed, and city parks events, zoos (animals were brought into night enclosures early), and schools suspended outdoor activities.
On Broadway, “Killing Eve” star Jodie Comer had difficulty breathing and left the matinee after 10 minutes; the show restarted with an understudy, show publicists said.
The NYC Parks Department canceled all outdoor events Wednesday, including “Movie Under the Stars,” which was scheduled at several parks throughout the five boroughs.
Hudson River Park’s Jazz at Pier 84, which was scheduled for 7 p.m. along the waterfront, is also canceled.
The Federal Aviation Administration paused some flights bound for LaGuardia Airport and slowed planes to Newark Liberty and Philadelphia because the smoke was limiting visibility. Dulles International Airport outside Washington experienced delays.
On Broadway, “Killing Eve” star Jodie Comer had difficulty breathing and left the matinee after 10 minutes; the show restarted with an understudy, show publicists said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
