With high temperatures still baking the Southland, the South Coast Air Quality Management District Tuesday extended an ozone advisory for much of the South Coast Air Basin and Coachella Valley due to the heat wave.
The advisory — which had been scheduled to expire at 8 p.m. Tuesday — now will run through 8 p.m. Saturday.
According to an AQMD statement, “Over the past few days, Air Quality Index (AQI) levels have reached Unhealthy in most inland areas and Very Unhealthy in some localized areas due to a prolonged heat wave.”
AQI will likely reach unhealthy or worse in inland areas of the South Coast Air Basin and in the Coachella Valley in the afternoon and early evening hours through Saturday, the agency said.
Ozone air pollution can cause respiratory problems, including trouble breathing, asthma attacks, and lung damage. Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with preexisting lung problems such as asthma may be more sensitive to the health effects of ozone.
High ozone levels are caused in part by high temperatures that increase ozone formation rates and emissions of chemicals leading to ozone formation, according to the AQMD.