By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2026-07-18 16:01:03 | Updated at 2026-08-02 16:30:18
2 weeks ago
The New York metro area is still suffering from punishing haze and choking smoke from the Canadian wildfires, but experts are hopeful a change in the weather could offer some relief in time for Sunday’s FIFA World Cup Final.
New Yorkers woke up again Friday to “unhealthy” air quality levels, triggering health alerts as the Big Apple ranked fourth for worst air quality in the world among major cities, according to IQAir.
Residents have been advised to stay indoors whenever possible and to limit strenuous outdoor activities – particularly those who suffer from respiratory issues.
Concerns have been raised about the impact of the poor air quality as Spain and Argentina prepare to square off at the open-air New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday to decide the 2026 World Cup champion.
The air quality level in East Rutherford, NJ, where the final will be played, currently sits at 158 — within the “unhealthy” category.
New York’s AQI Friday morning was sitting at 178, also within the unhealthy range, but is forecast to drop to around 100 as the day progresses.
However, experts anticipate that a well-timed cold front and some rain over the weekend could mitigate some of the worst of the smoke and haze just in time for the match.
“It’s going to rain a lot on Saturday, so that should dissipate a lot of the smoke. Sunday morning, I think we’re going to be seeing a cold front come through the area and it should kick out any remaining smoke that we’re seeing,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva said.
Even if the rain chases away some of the poor-quality air ahead of Sunday’s 3:00 p.m. kick off, players could still be at risk for certain health issues and should take precautions, experts warn.
“It not only is going to be terrible, terrible air quality. It’s hot, and that can cause an extreme amount of stress on the heart,” Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and board of directors member at the American Lung Association, said.
“That is a very powerful and dangerous one-two punch to the human body. It’s going to be critical to maintain core body temperatures as low as possible.”
Canada is still being ravaged by nearly 900 wildfires, with 26 reported so far on Friday alone, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.
“With smoke from Canadian wildfires again impacting air quality throughout our state, we’re urging New Yorkers to be air quality aware to stay safe this week,” said Governor Kathy Hochul.
“We continue to coordinate with local counties to monitor conditions and distribute masks to help protect vulnerable populations.”
She said she was encouraging all New Yorkers to stay informed about the latest updates and to “take the necessary precautions to protect yourselves, your neighbors and your loved ones.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged Big Apple residents to stay indoors and mask up if you have to venture out.
“Today is not a day to say, ‘In spite of the air quality, I’m going to do everything I was going to do yesterday.’ This is very serious. We are reaching into a level of air quality that is dangerous for every single New Yorker,” Hizzoner said at his morning press conference Thursday.
With Post wires
