Soaring Temps Prompt Spare The Air Alert For Tuesday

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Soaring temperatures and more cars on the roads brought haze back to Bay Area skies this week, prompting air district officials to forecast unhealthy air for the second day in a row.

The district's Spare the Air Alert for Monday was the first of 2020 and Tuesday's air quality isn't going to be any better, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Light winds combined with triple-digit inland temperatures along with vehicle exhaust are expected to produce smog, or ozone, accumulation.

Most of the Bay Area is under a heat advisory that is in effect until Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

• ALSO READ: Heat Advisory Issued; Parts Of Bay Area May See Record High Temperatures

"As temperatures and traffic increase in the Bay Area, unfortunately, so does unhealthy air quality," said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the air district. "When it matters most, we can protect our respiratory health and reduce our exposure to smog by avoiding outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day."

Smog can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. Long-term exposure to ozone can reduce lung function. Ozone pollution is particularly harmful for young children, seniors and those with respiratory and heart conditions.

When a Spare the Air Alert is issued, outdoor exercise should be done only in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower.

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