Forecasted air quality triggers Spare the Air Alert

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The San Francisco Bay Area’s second Spare the Air Alert of the year was issued Monday due to forecasted unhealthy air quality, according to officials. The alert goes into effect Tuesday and comes as temperatures are expected to peak across the region, with some inland areas reaching into the 90s.

The Bay Area Air District (BAAD) said that high temperatures paired with motor vehicle exhaust “will create elevated concentrations of ozone, or smog, especially in the Santa Clara Valley.” Ozone, officials said, can trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen conditions such as bronchitis and emphysema.

Exposure to ozone causes throat irritation and chest pain, and long-term exposure can reduce lung function, according to BAAD. Young children, seniors and those with respiratory and heart conditions are most at risk from the harms of ozone.

Air officials recommend people restrict outdoor exercise to the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower.

The Spare the Air Alert comes nearly four months after the year’s first was issued on May 30.