Air quality alert issued in Massachusetts Thursday. Here's why.
An air quality alert has been issued for the Boston area and other parts of Massachusetts Thursday. And while the region has seen smoke from Canadian wildfires and fires burning in the U.S., that's not what's driving the warning.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued the alert for ground level ozone, which is not unusual during hot weather. Temperatures in the state are expected to climb into the 90s on Thursday.
The alert was issued for Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties until 11 p.m. Cities in those areas include Boston, Lawrence, Gloucester, Foxboro and Quincy.
Why is the air quality bad today?
The wildfire smoke is causing hazy sunsets in Massachusetts, but most of it is too high to impact air quality. It's the ozone that prompted Thursday's alert.
As the Environmental Protection Agency , ground level ozone is the main ingredient in smog and created when pollutants react with sunlight. The agency says ozone "is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments."
The says ozone may exceed levels that are unhealthy for "sensitive groups," which includes children and people with asthma, lung or heart disease and older adults.
"Sensitive children and adults should limit prolonged outdoor activity," the alert says.
Boston weather forecast
Thursday is the hottest day of the season so far in Massachusetts, and the weather forecast over the next few days will be turbulent.
Friday will be in the 80s, with severe storms possible in the region. After that, things will cool down to the 70s for the weekend, with lingering showers on Saturday and more sun on Sunday.
