AIR QUALITY AND WHY IT'S BAD DURING A HEAT WAVE
We have an Code Orange Air Quality Alert again for Thursday. This means the air around Metro Louisville will be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. If you have breathing issues, respiratory problems, such as Asthma, you may want to spend more time indoors, in the air conditioning to stay safe.
You may wonder why the air quality becomes worse when temperature go up! Well, basically, the sun is what starts the chemical reaction to turn the man-made pollution, into ground-level Ozone. Ozone is a known pollutant, which can be harmful to our lungs. So, the sun starts the process, but the heat speeds it up. So, as we go through the day, we build more and more Ozone, and this can lead to poor air quality during a heat wave, especially during the afternoon and early evening. You need a hot and calm pattern for the worst air quality. The heat and sunshine bake the pollutants, and the lack of wind, won't mix out the Ozone.
You can find more helpful information on our WHAS11 App and at AirNow.gov.
Download the WHAS11 app
iPhone/iPad --> http://on.whas11.com/iphone
Android --> http://on.whas11.com/android
You can see descriptions of this process below.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE
PROTECT YOUR PETS!
HEAT WAVE THROUGH SUNDAY, THEN RELIEF NEXT WEEK!
Take care in this dangerous heat! - Chief Meteorologist Ben Pine @WHAS11Ben
