The fires in Canada / The climate threat|Global challenges

 

New York engulfed in smoke from the fires in Canada. Andy Bao / AP 

 

The fires in Canada  

The fires in Canada are turning New York red like Mars  

 

Several thousand more people are expected to have to flee the extensive forest fires in the Canadian province of Quebec, writes AFP. Already, over 10,000 people have been forced to leave their homes as a result of the more than 150 fires, most of which are not under control.  

 

The fires are now also felt in the United States. On Wednesday, airports in the New York area had to be closed because smoke from the fires affected visibility, writes CBS News.  

 

Fox News reports that the smoke has turned the sky red "so that it resembles the planet Mars". The smoke also affects air quality. According to AFP, one hundred million Americans live in areas where bad air warnings have been issued. 

 

 

George Washington Bridge in New Jerzey shrouded in smoke. Seth Wenig/AP 

 

The fires in Canada 

100 million Americans are warned of bad air  

 

On Wednesday, New York and Detroit were among the cities in the world where the air quality is currently the worst, The Hill reports. This is as a result of the fire smoke that has moved in over the eastern United States from the extensive forest fires in Canada.  

 

In New York, the air is judged to have never been this bad and people are being asked to stay indoors as much as they can.  

 

- This is not the day to train for a marathon or organize outdoor activities for the children, says Jeff Schlegelmilch from the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University. 

 

Even in Philadelphia and Washington DC, for example, the air is currently very bad. In total, bad air warnings have been issued in 18 US states, covering around one hundred million people. 

 

Iceberg near Greenland. Felipe Dana / AP  

 

The climate threat|Global challenges 

Record-high temperatures in the world's oceans in May  

 

Temperatures in the world's oceans were higher in May this year than in any previous May since the measurements began. This is announced by the EU's climate monitoring program Copernicus, according to AFP.  

 

At a depth of ten metres, the seas were on average a quarter of a degree warmer than the average between 1991 and 2000. On an annual basis, the seas are now on average 0.6 degrees warmer at the surface than 40 years ago. 

 

In the coming months, ocean temperatures are expected to rise further as a result of the recurring El Niño phenomenon.  

 

Warmer seas pose a major threat to important ecosystems and coral reefs, and also lead to increased melting of polar ice caps.