A special air quality statement has been issued for much of southwestern Ontario, including London and Middlesex County.
The statement, issued by Environment Canada late Tuesday morning, states that elevated ozone levels are expected over the afternoon and will likely result in moderate risk Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) values. The worst conditions on Tuesday are predicted to last between 4 and 8 p.m.
There could even be short-term, high-risk AQHI values and the conditions could even persist into Wednesday afternoon.
The national weather agency says anyone outdoors is at increased risk to the health effects of air pollution, but people with lung diseases — like asthma or COPD — can be “particularly sensitive to air pollution.”
In addition to London and Middlesex, the statement is in place for Elgin, Huron-Perth, Sarnia-Lambton and Windsor-Essex–Chatham-Kent.
According to the federal government, the AQHI is a scale designed to help the public understand what the local air quality means for their health. Air quality is graded on a scale of 1-10, with 1-3 being low risk, 4-6 being moderate risk, 7-10 being high risk and anything off the scale is considered “very high risk.”
The statement comes as extended heat continues in the region, with the high on Tuesday expected to reach 34 C, feeling like 39 C with the humidity.
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