DELAWARE - The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced Wednesday is a Code Red Air Quality Action Day.
Light to moderate northwesterly winds will continue to transport areas of dense smoke southward from wildfires in eastern Canada on Wednesday. Winds are then expected to weaken and shift to southeasterly on Thursday, recirculating dense smoke across the Mid-Atlantic.
Therefore, AQI levels will be Unhealthy for PM2.5 on both days. The smoke will also contribute to ozone precursors. However, smoke aloft will reduce ozone production enough to keep ozone levels Moderate on both days.
Friday, a trough of low pressure aloft and scattered rain will aid atmospheric mixing and hinder ozone development. However, light and variable winds will allow smoke to linger across Delaware, leading to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups AQI levels.
The Air Quality Index, known as the AQI, is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.
The EPA calculates the AQI for the five major air pollutants for which it has established national air quality standards to protect public health. Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country.
You can access air monitoring station data in Delaware via DNREC. Visit the EPA Air Now site to learn more about the AQI, to see forecasts for other locations, and to see live data for Delaware or for the nation as a whole.