New York, Northeast Hit by Flash Flooding as Canada Wildfires Worsen Air Quality

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing the U.S. National Weather Service, thunderstorms, torrential rain and flash flooding hit New York City and surrounding areas on Saturday after several days of smoke and hot weather, with rainfall reaching 2 to 4 inches and intensity expected to peak at 1 inch per hour. Flood warnings were issued for all five New York City boroughs, southern Westchester County and northeastern New Jersey through 2 a.m. Sunday, while LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark airports reported delays or cancellations. The weather service said some areas could see severe flooding, traffic disruptions, basement flooding and water rescues, and New Jersey counties also issued flash flood alerts. In Newark, five cars were stranded in floodwater and the drivers and passengers were rescued, with no injuries reported.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the Canadian government said on Saturday that Canada had 955 active wildfires, nearly 200 of them in Ontario, covering about 28,500 square kilometers. Smoke from the fires continued to affect cities in the U.S. Northeast, with air quality in Toronto, New York and Washington among the worst in the world on Saturday, prompting health warnings and calls to limit outdoor activity. Ontario Premier Ford called U.S. President Trump’s criticism of Canadian wildfire smoke entering the U.S. “unacceptable,” saying about 655,000 hectares of forest were burning in the province and that if Trump wanted Canada to clear the forests, he should lift U.S. tariffs on softwood lumber.