Chicago First Alert Weather: Worst air quality in the country due to smoke from wildfires

CHICAGO (CBS) — A northerly wind has pushed another round of Canadian Wildfire Smoke into the area.

The air quality as of 4 pm Monday has dropped into the red or unhealthy category. Air quality in the Chicago area was ranked the worst in the country on Monday night.

Areas north from Milwaukee to Green Bay are also affected.

According airnow.gov:

People with heart or lung diseases, older adults, children and adolescents – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure:

• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
• Keep outdoor activities short.
• Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

Everyone else – carry any of these steps to reduce your exposure:

• Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
• Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
• Be active outside when the air quality is better.

Smoky skies and poor air quality are expected to last through Tuesday. Models suggest this latest round of smoke could be significantly thicker than the one we dealt with earlier this month.

Some improvement is expected by Wednesday morning.