Central Jersey Heat Advisory and Air Quality Alerts Today

If you’re like me, and you’re a runner or spend a lot of time outside this time of year, you need to be especially aware when there’s an air quality alert. You don’t have to be exercising or participating in a rigorous outdoor activity to be susceptible to the dangers of poor air quality during a heat wave. On my ride home from work each day I check in with my mother to make sure she’s ok. Fortunately, I don’t need to remind her to stay inside during the hotter summer days. However, she always dispenses her motherly advice about running when it’s scorching hot. Experts warn that we all need to be concerned about the negative health effects that can be caused by a significant rise in the temperature. The National Weather Service issues air quality alerts and heat advisories when we’re expecting high temperatures and conditions like we’re anticipating today. Central Jersey Counties Affected by Air Quality Alerts The heat advisories and air quality alerts include Middlesex, Somerset, and Mercer counties. For the heat advisory, they’re warning about “heat index values up to 99 with dangerously hot conditions and heat index values up to 106 possible. The heat advisory will last until Saturday morning. “Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events.” The National Weather Service has also issued an Air Quality Alert. Their website says, “The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has issued a code orange air quality alert. A code orange air quality alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children, people suffering from asthma, heart disease, or other lung diseases, and the elderly. The effects of air pollution can be minimized by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise outdoors.” It’s recommended you avoid prolonged exposure and limit your pets to thirty minutes outdoors. You should also stay hydrated and avoid alcohol.