‘Code Orange’ air quality day for Sunday as temperatures near 90
Share this post:
Although National Weather Service officials said the region is trending down in terms of overall temperatures, it isn’t there yet, and Sunday will be another reminder of the summer heat it has experienced recently.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection issued an air quality alert for Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties for Sunday, when temperatures are forecast to reach 90 degrees.
The DEP issued a “Code Orange” air quality alert, which represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people.
“Sunday’s forecast of mostly sunny skies, light and favorable winds and temperatures rising close to 90 degrees will lead to favorable conditions for ozone development in the late morning and early afternoon,” DEP officials said in a news release.
According to the EPA, when ozone levels are unhealthy, people with conditions like asthma can be prone to more severe symptoms, and they can also affect people sensitive to allergens.
And while Sunday and Monday will see the summer heat rolling, the region is headed past the recent dog days, forecasters said.
“Right now, we’re starting to trend down. We’re over the hump,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Kennedy. “It’s going to be warmer here today and tomorrow, but we’re right where we should be.”
The National Weather Service forecast calls for temperatures near 90 through Thursday, with a chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday in the afternoon and evening.