Manitoba, Canada, wildfires taking a toll on New Hampshire air quality

Haze and smoke from Manitoba, Candada, wildfires hangs over Teneriffe Mountain in Milton on Monday. (Rochester Voice photo)

Wildfires in Manitoba will continue to cause respiratory issues for some throughout Strafford, Carroll and Rockingham counties today as low-level haze and smoke envelope even low-lying areas.

Meteorologist Hunter Tubbs of the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said on Monday that New Hampshire and Maine often are the recipient of such hazy smoke due to western wildfires, but "to make it all the way here and be on the surface is very unusual."

SMOKE ON THE WATER; A smoky haze shrouds the shoreline at Milton Three Ponds.

Haze and smoke in Nashua reduced visibility to just two miles, he added, while in Portsmouth it was even worse at just one and a half miles.

Fine particulate pollution will take a toll on the young, the old and those with compromised respiratory systems, he said.

"Those groups should avoid any strenuous activity and stay indoors," he added.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is predicting unhealthy air quality throughout the day today. The air quality alert does not end till 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to NHDES, "anyone with lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis; and people who are active outdoors should take note. Even healthy individuals may experience mild health effects and should consider limiting strenuous or prolonged outdoor activities."

The good news is that a cold front will push through late today and winds will turn more northerly, Tubbs added, which should begin to clear out the haze and smoke.