If you have stepped outside or even looked out your window today, you probably will have noticed something in the air.
Wildfires in Canada have brought smoke down across the country, with the worst of it in the Great Lake region rolling down further south.
There is currently an Air Quality Alert issued by National Weather Service Wilmington, which covers southeastern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, that is in effect until midnight Wednesday.
According to airnow.gov, the air quality is currently unhealthy, with the Air Quality Index, known as AQI, sitting around 194. Officials are suggesting that those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should take precautions including:
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
- Keep outdoor activities short.
- Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
They also suggest that everyone avoid any strenuous outdoor activities and should keep any amount of time spent outdoors to a minimum.
This jump in air quality issues happened quickly, per airnow.gov, qualities were “good” with the AQI in the 20s on June 26. Yesterday the AQI then jumped to 154, and today, the index has been staying in the mid 190s.
On top of the haze, it’s also going to be a hot couple of days. Highs are expected to stay in the mid-80s today, with temperatures moving up to the 90s Thursday and Friday.