An air quality health advisory is in effect for Long Island and the NYC Metro regions until 11 p.m. Friday due to elevated ground-level ozone, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The advisory covers Nassau and Suffolk counties, including the Riverhead area, as well as New York City, Westchester and Rockland counties.
State officials said air quality levels in outdoor air are expected to exceed an air quality index value of 100 for ozone. The AQI is used to correlate levels of different pollutants on a single scale; higher values indicate a greater health concern.
The forecast AQI Friday is 108 for Long Island and 101 for NYC, according to the State DEC. An AQI from 101 to 150 means the air is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. People especially sensitive to elevated pollution levels include young children and those with preexisting respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease. Anyone experiencing symptoms should consider consulting a physician.
When pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects.
The advisory comes as hot and humid conditions persist across the region. The National Weather Service forecast for Riverhead calls for sunny skies Friday with a high near 89 degrees and heat index values as high as 99.
More information is available at https://on.ny.gov/nyaqi or by calling the state air quality hotline at 1-800-535-1345.
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