The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued a Spare the Air alert for Wednesday, Sept. 9, as ozone levels climb across the East Bay.
The agency, known as BAAQMD, said high inland temperatures, light surface winds and a delayed afternoon sea breeze are expected to push smog to unhealthy levels. The alert targets ozone, not smoke from Tuesday's prescribed burn on Angel Island, the air district noted on its website.
The Air District's Eastern Zone, which includes Orinda, Moraga and Lafayette, is forecast to reach an Air Quality Index of 101, according to Patch. That level is classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults and people with heart or lung disease.
No specific forecast high was issued for the three Lamorinda cities. Nearby Concord could hit 102 degrees and Livermore 99 degrees, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Rick Canepa told SFGATE. The San Francisco Chronicle reported mid-90s across the interior East Bay, with overnight lows that may not drop below 70 degrees Wednesday night.
"Once you get further inland, temperatures will warm up quite rapidly," Canepa told SFGATE.
The heat is temporary. The NWS Heat Advisory runs from 10 a.m. Wednesday through 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, according to ABC7. The heat wave follows about 10 days of below-normal temperatures and is expected to ease Friday, with inland highs returning to the 80s by the weekend.
The BAAQMD is urging residents to limit driving, work remotely, carpool or take transit. The air district also recommends exercising outdoors only in the early morning, when ozone concentrations are lower. Residents should refuel vehicles after dusk and avoid idling cars.
The NWS advised people to stay out of direct sunlight when possible, stay hydrated and move strenuous outdoor activities to cooler parts of the day. Pets and children should never be left inside parked vehicles, even with windows down.
Residents can sign up for Spare the Air text alerts at SpareTheAir.org.
