With the Southland facing unhealthy air quality coupled with scorching temperatures, an ozone advisory was extended for many parts of Southern California due to persistent smog.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) extended its ozone advisory until 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 10. Several communities are expected to reach “unhealthy” levels of smog in the coming days in accordance with the Air Quality Index.
According to the AQMD, these areas will likely reach unhealthy levels of smog through the end of the advisory:
- Santa Clarita
- Upland
- Ontario
- Chino
- Riverside
- Moreno Valley
- Banning
- San Gabriel mountains
- San Bernardino mountains
“Ozone air pollution can cause respiratory health problems, including trouble breathing, asthma attacks, and lung damage,” an AQMD spokesperson said in a statement. “Research also indicates that ozone exposure can increase the risk of premature death.”
Health experts said air quality in SoCal declined drastically overnight due to smoke left behind from Fourth of July fireworks. Combining that smog with elevated temperatures poses dangerous conditions to the public.
“When you add the fireworks and the heat, with this heat wave, we are having people can have heat stroke and as you age people don’t recognize when you are thirsty,” said Dr. Douglas Chiriboga, a physician at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. “It’s the elderly population that tends to have these complications.”
If possible, it’s recommended people stay indoors and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Those in areas severely impacted by the smog should consider wearing an N95 mask.
NBC4 Meteorologist David Biggar said the Southland is experiencing an inversion, which he described as conditions that are “warmer at the surface and acts as a lid that prevents any of the surface air from rising, which results in the trapped layer.”
“This layer of warm air also plays into temperatures because during the overnight hours, it stays pretty warm and some areas are sitting in it, such as Santa Clarita,” Biggar said. “That is why we’re looking at some very warm overnight temperatures for tonight into early tomorrow morning.”
