Record heat and El Niño worsen air quality and fire crisis in Manaus

Air quality in the Amazonian city of Manaus has deteriorated sharply, prompting the local health authority Semsa to label conditions as very poor and recommend reduced outdoor activity and mask use when exposure cannot be avoided. Meteorological factors such as intense heat, low humidity and wind are facilitating the buildup of smoke particles, while regional winds can transport haze from neighboring areas into the city.

Fire incidents have risen sharply this month, with officials attributing most of them to human actions such as slash-and-burn agriculture, discarded cigarettes and small fires that got out of control. The surge occurs during an extended dry period in the Amazon basin, which the national health ministry attributes to the strong El Niño climate pattern that is expected to prolong drought and raise fire danger in the north. In response, a 120-day ban on deliberate agricultural fires has been imposed across the state of Amazonas.