South Floridians who woke up Tuesday wondering why the skies were so hazy can blame wildfires in our neighbor to the north.
The reduced air qulity in South Florida is being attributed to Canadian wildfire smoke that has made its way far south through the atmosphere, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.
Satellite imagery showed the hazy conditions moving across much of the southeastern U.S.
The smoke originated form the large wildfires burning in eastern Canada in the region called Hudson Bay. The smoke is being transported by a large area of High pressure situated over the Mid-Atlantic.
The clockwise winds have helped push the smoke south, blanketing skies up and down the Sunshine State. Visibility Tuesday morning was patchy at best, however places across northern and central Florida woke up to thicker haze. Air Quality alerts have been posted for northern areas in Florida.
Broward’s air quality on Tuesday was rated “unhealthy,” meaning sensitive groups could feel health effects immediately, according to U.S. government online platform AirNow, an air quality data site used by the Environmental Protection Agency and more.
Miami’s air quality was rated as “moderate.” Hazy skies will stick around at least through Wednesday in South Florida. Wildfires have been raging in Canada throughout the summer in what’s being called the worst wildfire season on record.
