Thick smoke from ongoing wildfires in Canada and northern Minnesota has degraded air quality across the U. S.
Midwest and Northeast this week, exposing millions to dangerous pollution levels.
>>> Millwall Signs Ipswich Town Defender Elkan Baggott for Undisclosed Fee
Chicago and Minneapolis were ranked among the most polluted major cities globally on Sunday morning, according to Yahoo News.
While a cold front and storms cleared the air in the Northeast on Saturday, hazardous smoke persisted in parts of the Great Lakes region.
Multiple local governments issued health warnings due to high levels of fine particulate matter, which pose severe risks to children, older adults, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.
Minnesota officials extended an air quality alert through the weekend, noting that pollution in the northeastern corner of the state reached unsafe levels for all residents.
Similar alerts were active in Wisconsin and Michigan earlier in the week.
The air pollution also impacted major events.
In New Jersey, officials monitored air quality ahead of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday.
“There's been discussion about it, and we have somebody with the National Weather Service that sits in FIFA headquarters there, so we're monitoring closely,” said Andrew Giuliani, White House World Cup task force executive director.
In Massachusetts, the heavy plume changed the sky color over New England from milky white to a brown-yellow hue, reported CBS News Boston.
“It almost felt like you were at a campsite with an active fire going,” said James Venezia, a resident of West Roxbury.
