The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have forecast a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone on Thursday, May 3rd for the  five county Philadelphia area (that is Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia).

From the press release:

On Thursday, southwesterly winds circulating around an area of high pressure centered across the southeastern U.S. along with sunshine and temperatures in the middle and upper 80s will allow ozone to rise into the code ORANGE category across southeastern Pennsylvania.

On air quality action days, young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standardized air quality index uses colors to report daily air quality. Green signifies good; yellow means moderate; orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive people; and red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.

To help reduce the impact of the issue, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection advises:

•    Refueling cars and trucks after dusk
•    Setting air conditioner thermostats to a higher temperature
•    Carpooling or using public transportation; and
•    Combining errands to reduce trips.

These forecasts are provided in conjunction with Air Quality Partnerships for the Delaware Valley.