An air quality alert continues for the entire Chicago area Friday, with poor air quality due to smoke from Canada wildfires expected to stick around all day and even into Saturday, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
The alert comes a day after the website IQAir ranked Chicago as having the “worst air quality in the world.”
As of 5:30 a.m. Friday, the government air quality tracking website AirNow showed Chicago’s air quality in the “unhealthy” category, which ranks as level four of six on the Air Quality Index. Air quality was also ranking as “unhealthy” across multiple suburbs, though it was expected to improve into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category as the day goes on.
According to the NWS, everyone is advised to limit time outdoors during times of “unhealthy” air quality, and older adults, young children and those with respiratory problems may be especially sensitive.
Friday morning, Chicago’s air quality showed a PM 2.5 of 157. Typically, anything above 100 is considered to be hazardous to at least some groups, and anything over 150 is considered to be “unhealthy,” posing issues to the general public. Photos and video from the lakefront showed a fuzzy and blurry sky.
Air quality was also ranking “unhealthy” across other parts of the Midwest, including in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
