Air Quality Alert In Effect Through Midnight For LI — Here's Why

LONG ISLAND, NY — Canadian wildfires and recent high temperatures have sparked an air quality alert that will remain in effect until midnight Monday across Long Island, the National Weather service said.

According to Jay Engle, meteorologist with the NWS office in Upton, the air quality alert was caused by the wildfires and also, the warmer temperatures of around 90 degrees.

Air quality levels in outdoor air are predicted to be greater than an air quality index value of 100 for the pollutant of ground level ozone and fine particulates, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said.. The Air Quality Index, or AQI, was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale; the higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern, officials said.

When pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young, and those with preexisting respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease.

Those with symptoms should consider consulting their personal physician, the NYSDH said.