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Yankees, Phillies Among Postponements Due to Poor Air Quality from Canadian Wildfires

Erin Walsh

Poor air quality in New York City stemming from smoke caused by the wildfires blazing across Canada has resulted in Wednesday's game between the Yankees and Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium to be postponed.

They are expected to make up the matchup as part of a doubleheader Thursday, with games starting at 4:05 p.m. ET and 7:05 p.m. ET.

Wednesday's game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park has also been postponed for the same reason as the Canadian wildfires continue to impact the northeastern part of the United States.

The game will be made up on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. ET.

The Yankees and White Sox played through a smoky haze on Tuesday night in the Bronx with the Air Quality Index at the start of the matchup listed at 159, which is considered to be unhealthy.

The Air Quality Index in New York City has more than doubled over the last 24 hours and it sat at 332, which is considered hazardous, as of Wednesday evening ET. That's the worst air quality in the world.

The National Weather Service issued an alert about the air quality in New York City on Wednesday afternoon, writing that "the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects."

The alert is in effect until midnight Thursday.

The Phillies and Tigers were also in action at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday when the AQI was listed at 188, which is considered unhealthy. The air quality in Philadelphia worsened since, with the AQI being listed at 247, which is considered to be very unhealthy.

The National Weather Service issued a Code Orange in Philadelphia on Wednesday, which "means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups."

Additionally, the National Women's Soccer League postponed a match between the NJ/NY Gotham and Orlando Pride on Wednesday at Red Bull Arena due to the poor air quality.

The match has been rescheduled for August 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

And while WNBA games are played indoors, the league opted to postpone Wednesday's contest between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx at Barclays Center due to the air quality.

Around 98 million people across parts of 18 states were under air quality alerts on Wednesday, per NBC News.

While the Canadian wildfire season typically runs from May through October, this significant of an impact is rare just one month into the season, according to Cara Korte of CBS News. Record heat and drought have contributed to the issue as the Earth continues to warm due to climate change.

   

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