Graphic detail | Lavender haze

Smoke blackens the air in America’s north-east

New York’s current air quality is the worst of any big city in the world

June 6th and 7th were literally dark days in New York. Smoke filled the air, shrouding the skyline in an eerie blur. Airports delayed incoming flights, and baseball games were postponed. Health officials told residents to stay indoors. Measured by Air Quality Index (aqi), which records overall pollution, New York, which normally lands in the middle of the global pack, ranked as the worst of any big city in the world. Conditions were nearly as bad throughout the eastern United States, with smoke lingering from Boston to Washington and as far west as St Louis.

This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline “Lavender haze”

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