Air Quality Alert Issued For 12 NJ Counties Tuesday: See Why

NEW JERSEY — Environmental officials issued an air quality alert Tuesday for multiple New Jersey counties, as predicted levels of ozone might make it difficult for some people to breathe normally outdoors.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a "code orange" Air Quality Action Day for ground-level ozone for the following counties: Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Union, Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Somerset, Middlesex and Mercer. The alert continues into Tuesday night.

Weather conditions and a mass of polluted air could combine to make ozone levels rise into the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category throughout the day, officials said. Thus, the air quality index (AQI) is forecast to reach above 100 on Tuesday in some towns in North and Central New Jersey, according to airnow.gov.

"Sensitive individuals, including the very young, the elderly, and persons with respiratory diseases such as asthma, should avoid strenuous activities during the afternoon and early evening hours," DEP officials said.

According to the National Weather Service, humidity levels will be "on the rise" throughout the day Tuesday, with high temperatures in the upper 70s to mid-80s across most of the state.

Low pressure will approach the region on Wednesday, and officials said it should provide "ample cloud cover and rain showers to help return ozone levels to the good category."