Air Quality Alert Issued for Fairfax County

Here comes summer.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, along with the Virginia Department of the Environmental Quality, issued an air quality alert Thursday for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas — including Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington and Alexandria counties — in advance of the hot and muggy weather in this week's forecast. 

Through Saturday, temperatures are expected to hit the low 90s in Fairfax County, according to the National Weather Service.

Just a few days ago, high temperatures were in the mid-60s.

What does the alert mean? A “code orange” indicates the concentration of air pollution makes the quality of the air very low,  of particular concern for sensitive groups: the elderly, the very young, people with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases and people with other chronic illnesses that are aggravated by heat.

To stay safe, NWS suggests avoiding strenuous activity or, if it gets bad, staying inside as high concentrations of ozone and fine particles in the air can cause serious health problems in those 'sensitive populations.'"

You should also make sure pets have plenty of fresh water and are not left outside for long periods. Other pet safety tips.

Learn the difference between heat disorders – sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Here are other summer safety tips.

Find more information about current air quality conditions online.