ATLANTA — A Code Orange Air Quality Alert has been issued for metro Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon.
Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Eboni Deon says to expect a hot day, but some people should stay inside because of the air quality.
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Sensitive groups, like those with respiratory illnesses, should avoid being outdoors for a prolonged period of time later this afternoon.
The alert is typically issued when the air quality index (AQI) is between 101 to 150. This means the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and those affected should limit outdoor exertion.
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Those affected include people with lung disease such as asthma, children and teens, older adults and people routinely active outdoors for six or more hours a day.
A healthy AQI value is 50 or below, whereas an AQI over 300 represents hazardous air quality. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, five major pollutants that can affect the air quality are:
- Ground-level ozone
- Particle Pollution
- Carbon monoxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Nitrogen dioxide
For more information on how AQI works, click here.
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