Minneapolis's air quality reached the second poorest globally on a Friday, with the warning persisting over the weekend.
In Minnesota, residents are currently facing an air quality alert that has been extended through Saturday, August 4. The alert, issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), is due to lingering wildfire smoke from Canada.
The air quality in Minneapolis, specifically, has been particularly affected. On Friday morning and throughout the workday, the city's air quality ranked as the second-worst among the world's major cities, according to IQAir data. Only Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo had worse Air Quality Index (AQI) levels during this period.
The current AQI in Minneapolis is in the red category, which is considered unhealthy for everyone. This means that even brief exposure to the smoke could affect those with lung or heart disease, older adults, and children.
This prolonged period of unhealthy air quality is unusual and ties for Minnesota's longest-ever significant air quality alert related to Canadian wildfire smoke. The MPCA expects the smoke to linger through at least Saturday afternoon and potentially longer if weather patterns delay dispersion.
Compared to other major cities, Minneapolis is currently experiencing much worse air pollution levels due to the wildfire smoke influx, while many other urban areas are not affected by such extensive haze.
Residents are advised to limit outdoor exertion while the alert is active. The MPCA has the latest AQI forecasts on its website. This air quality alert ties with those issued for St. Louis County during the Greenwood fire in 2021.
The MPCA continues to monitor the situation closely and will update the public as conditions improve. Residents can expect the air quality to improve once winds shift and the smoke clears by the weekend.
- The prolonged air quality alert in Minnesota, caused by Canadian wildfire smoke, has raised concerns in the area of environmental science, particularly climate-change, as it ties for the longest significant alert in Minnesota's history.
- The current air quality issue in Minneapolis has garnered attention from global news outlets, with the city's AQI ranking as the second-worst among world major cities, highlighting the impact of wildfire smoke on health and weather.
- As the air quality warning persists, the science community is closely watching the impact of the wildfire smoke on the environment and its potential long-term effects, which is part of the broader field of environmental-science and climate-change research.
- With the ongoing air quality alert, Minneapolis residents are urged not only to limit outdoor activities but also to seek updates on the latest weather patterns that could potentially speed up the dispersion of the smoke, thereby improving air quality, in line with health and weather advisories.
