Air Quality Alert Issued In Southeastern MA Due To Ozone

BRAINTREE, MA — It's a nice day to go outside in Massachusetts, but some individuals may want to limit their time due to poor air quality.

The state Department of Environmental Protection issued an air quality alert for South Shore and Cape Cod counties. The alert will be in effect Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. due to high ozone levels.

The warning covers all of Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket, Bristol, Plymouth and Norfolk counties.

"Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to ozone," MassDEP said in a news release. "MassDEP is advising that people in sensitive groups should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, do less intense activities, follow asthma action plans, and keep quick relief medicine handy. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath."

The state has also burned outdoor banning across Massachusetts Thursday due to elevated air pollution.

Temperatures were expected to reach into the 80s across the state Thursday with plenty of sun, according to forecasts.