Thursday and Friday are Ozone Action Days and people are advised to stay inside.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued two Ozone Action Days, meaning ozone levels are higher than normal due to high temperatures and downwind pollution.
Wildfires in Nova Scotia are also contributing to more particulate matter in the air.
Director of the DNREC Division of Air Quality Angela Marconi says people with breathing or lung issues should have their medications handy and take other precautions.
“We typically see the highest reading when it's hottest, so in the late afternoon, and then it will drop off at night," Marconi says. "With the particulate matter issue being transported in from the wildfires, it’s less predictable than ozone. So it’s important to just keep an eye on what’s happening in your area.”
Chief Medical Officer of the American Lung Association Albert Rizzo suggests people monitor the air quality index throughout the day.
“Air quality is broken down into the green, which is good, with different colors going all the way up to maroon which is really bad," Rizzo says. "Most recently, the orange category is what has been affecting Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware as a result of these wildfires, and that’s really a category where people with underlying lung disease are the ones most at risk for noticing symptoms of increased cough and shortness of breath.
Delaware had no Ozone Action Days in 2022, but Marconi says already had one this year before this week, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a hotter summer, which could lead to more.
Most weather apps have ozone readings, but Delaware residents can also visit de.gov/aqi to see the air quality index.
