Wednesday will bring sunshine and afternoon heat to North Texas, but the region could end up with unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution as a result.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has issued an Ozone Action Day for Dallas-Fort Worth for Wednesday, according to an air quality alert from the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office. The alert said atmospheric conditions are going to favor high levels of ozone air pollution in the area.
“You can help prevent ozone pollution by sharing a ride, walking, riding a bicycle, taking your lunch to work, avoiding drive-through lanes, conserving energy and keeping your vehicle properly tuned,” the alert said.
Ozone, a gas made of three atoms of oxygen, can be good or bad depending on where it is found, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If it is present in the upper atmosphere, it acts as a layer of protection for the planet against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. At ground level, however, ozone can be an air pollutant that can cause difficulty in breathing, damage or inflammation to airways, lung diseases and more for some people.
The EPA says ozone is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot and sunny days in urban spaces, but can reach high levels during colder months as well. It can travel by wind and reach rural areas as well.
Wednesday’s temperatures are expected to top out near 89 degrees before dropping to 68 degrees at night, the weather service said. A gentle breeze of 5 mph is expected in the afternoon.
The coming days are forecast to be mostly sunny with clouds returning to the North Texas region at night. There is no precipitation in the forecast for the week, but a slight chance of showers is possible over the weekend.
The region is in for a hot week with highs in the upper 80s and 90s.
WEDNESDAY:
THURSDAY: Partly sunny, very warm and humid. Low: 70. High: 90. Wind: S 10-15 mph.
FRIDAY: Sun, clouds, very warm and humid. Low: 72. High: 92. Wind: S 10-20 mph.
SATURDAY: Partly cloudy, very warm and humid. Low: 72. High: 90. Wind: S 10-20 mph.
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy, very warm and humid with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low: 72. High: 90. Wind: S 10-20 mph.