A haze of Canadian wildfire smoke rapidly darkened the skies over New York City on this day of June 8, 2023 and also happened around other states of the Northeast of United States on Wednesday, making the air dangerous to breathe and disrupting life across the affected regions.

By afternoon on Wednesday, Midtown Manhattan was lurched into a deep hazy orange and smoky clouds that covered the visibility across the five boroughs and the region affected, which led to cancellation of some flights earlier scheduled. Earlier in the day, commuters donned masks used amid the Covid-19 pandemic while walking the streets, children stayed indoors at recess, some schools closed and officials warned people against going outside.

The Canadian wildfires also prompted the cancellation of three big New York theater productions and two Major League Baseball games. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York called the worsening air quality “an emergency crisis.”

The smoke emanated from the Canadian wildfires reached as far south as Alabama on Wednesday and caused reduced air quality in parts of the Southeast, though the effects were not nearly as severe as in the Northeast and Midwest, confirmed by meteorologists.