Hot, sunny with Air Quality Alerts today; Rain expected Sunday

Credit: Jim Noelker

Credit: Jim Noelker

Today will be hot and sunny, with Air Quality Alerts in effect across the area, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Highs will be around 85 degrees.

However, the alerts have now changed as smoke from the Canadian wildfires gradually leaves the area – now alerts are due to high temperatures, sunny skies and light wind, which is good conditions to form ground-level ozone.

Air Quality Alerts are in effect through midnight on Saturday due to heightened ozone formation, issued by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency and the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency.

During the alert, the agencies predicted air pollution may reach levels deemed “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” such as children, older adults and people with cardiac or respiratory disease.

They urged residents to help reduce air pollution by carpooling, biking, walking or taking the bus instead of driving alone; by refueling vehicles after 8 p.m.; by avoiding idling your vehicle and using gas-powered law equipment; and by mowing your lawn in the evening hours.

Tonight, there will be mostly clear as lows dip to around 60 degrees.

On Sunday, there will be a chance of rain starting soon after dawn, with showers likely and a chance of thunderstorms starting in the early afternoon. Temperatures will still be warm, with highs around 80 degrees.

Showers and thunderstorms will increase in coverage through the day Sunday and will continue into Sunday evening, according to the NWS. Rain may be locally heavy which could result in some localized flooding issues. In addition, damaging winds will be the main threat.

Overnight, showers will be likely with a chance of thunderstorms until after midnight. It will then drop to a chance of showers and storms for a few hours before the NWS predicted storm chances will fall away. Lows will be around 56 degrees.

Monday, there will be a lingering chance of showers in the morning that will trail off around noon. It will be a breezy day, with gradually clearing skies and highs around 72 degrees.

On Monday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low around 53 degrees.

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