Canadian wildfire smoke chokes Midwest as flood threat looms in Carolinas

Heavy rain caused chaos across the I-95 corridor on Thursday, with 1 to 4 inches of rainfall leading to numerous flash flood warnings. Some areas, like Burlington County, New Jersey, saw even higher amounts of rain, with nearly 6 inches falling in isolated spots.

While light rain continues to fall in New England on Friday morning, the afternoon is expected to bring drier conditions with mostly cloudy skies lingering until overnight. However, the focus now shifts to the Carolinas, where heavy showers and thunderstorms are forecasted to bring up to 2 inches of rain per hour, increasing the risk of flooding.

Dallas-Fort Worth is also on alert for excessive rainfall on Friday, with heavy showers and thunderstorms expected in the afternoon and evening. Urban areas could see flash flooding as a result. Meanwhile, in the Midwest, a blanket of wildfire smoke from Canada is causing hazardous air quality conditions. Over 650 wildfires are burning in Canada, with 275 of them deemed “out of control.”

Cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, and Detroit are experiencing some of the worst air quality in the world on Friday morning, with air quality alerts issued for several states, including Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan, as well as parts of Nebraska and Missouri. The smoke is expected to linger over Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin on Saturday, with hazy skies persisting across much of the Midwest.

In the West, fires near the Grand Canyon and in Utah are contributing to poor air quality and hazy conditions. The Dragon Bavo Fire near the north rim of the Grand Canyon has burned 112,000 acres and is only 9% contained, while the Monroe Canyon Fire in central Utah has scorched 48,000 acres and is 7% contained.

As temperatures soar, 23 million Americans across six states are under heat advisories on Friday, with heat indices reaching 105 to 110 degrees from Louisiana to South Carolina. An extreme heat warning is in effect for Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, where temperatures could reach as high as 114 degrees from Friday through Sunday. Despite the heat wave in the Southwest, milder conditions are expected in the Midwest and East over the weekend.