SAO PAULO (AP) 鈥� A major river in the is suddenly emerald green and clear skies this week turned from blue to grey. In the late afternoon, the sun's rays filtering through the smoky haze exhibit the color of deep orange.
This isn't a fantasy world: Environmental threats in recent days have transformed the colors of the city's landscape.
The state's environmental authority attributes the to an algae bloom, the result of severe drought that has significantly lowered water levels. The phenomenon was visible starting Monday and continued Tuesday. Those same days, the city suffered smoke-filled air, which the agency attributed to a hot, dry mass complicating the dispersal of pollutants originating in forested areas with ongoing wildfires.
since nationwide measurements began over seven decades ago, with 59% of the country under stress 鈥� an area roughly half the size of the U.S. Major Amazon basin rivers are registering historic lows. Uncontrolled, manmade wildfires 鈥� in the Amazon rainforest and other biomes across the country 鈥� have ravaged protected areas and spread smoke over a vast expanse, nationwide.
Residents of South America鈥檚 most populous city are complaining about both the smoke throughout the city and a putrid smell near the river.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 hot during the day and the temperature drops, the stench increases a lot after 10 p.m.,鈥� Flavio Xavier Santana, a systems analyst, said in an interview with The Associated Press near the river.
For two consecutive days, smoke caused a metropolitan area of 21 million people, to breathe the second-most polluted air in the world, according to data gathered by IQAir, a Swiss air technology company. On Tuesday afternoon, the city's air pollution was second only to that of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Sao Paulo state's environmental agency classified Tuesday's air quality in the metropolitan region as very poor, and advised people to avoid strenuous outdoor exercise, stay hydrated, and keep doors and windows closed.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 even manage to practice physical activities on the street," actress Ingrid Cambo铆 told the AP. "I鈥檓 not even opening the balcony of my house, because the air is really bad, it really affects my health.鈥�
Brazilian pop singer Marina Sena shared on social media a video from her window overlooking Sao Paulo, expressing alarm at the smoke blurring the view of buildings on the horizon.
鈥淵ou live in a place where there鈥檚 a constant layer of smoke in the sky, a haze. A place where you can鈥檛 breathe. What the hell is happening?鈥� she said. 鈥淕uys, I feel like we need to take 20 steps back."
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Gabriela S谩 Pessoa And Felipe Campos Mello, The Associated Press
