Air quality alerts were in effect on Tuesday for millions of residents across New York, Connecticut, and Southern California, as forecasters and health officials urged the public to avoid burning candles, incense, and other indoor pollutants.
The warnings, issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) in partnership with regional agencies, highlighted elevated risks from ground-level ozone pollution.
Why It Matters
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cautions that exposure to ozone may irritate the respiratory tract, cause airway inflammation, and aggravate existing conditions like asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
Vulnerable populations—such as older adults, children, and individuals with lung diseases—are at greater risk.
What To Know
Areas under alert included Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York, and much of southern Connecticut including New Haven, Fairfield, New London and Middlesex counties.
In California, alerts spanned inland Orange County, the Santa Ana Mountains, the Inland Empire, the San Bernardino Mountains, the Riverside County mountains and the Coachella Valley. Alerts also covered downtown Los Angeles.
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Residents were advised to avoid activities that produce smoke or other air pollutants indoors, such as burning candles, incense, grilling, or using gas-powered lawn tools.
Instead, public advisories recommended keeping air conditioners or purifiers running and minimizing outdoor trips or car usage to help reduce overall pollution levels.
What People Are Saying
AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham told Newsweek previously: “Ozone is a secondary pollutant, meaning it’s not emitted directly from sources, but is formed through chemical reactions. These reactions require sunlight and higher temperatures, making warmer months more prone to ozone formation. When air is stagnant, pollutants don’t get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), California, said in a post on X, Monday: “OZONE ADVISORY (Monday, July 7 – Thursday, July 10): elevated smog levels expected as high temperatures are predicted to persist through the week.”
Jonathan Grigg, professor of pediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary University of London, previously told Newsweek that there are “very clear links” between inhaling particles and earlier death from both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
He added: “There are vulnerable groups and classically they are children because they’ve got an extra issue to do with their lungs developing, whereas our lungs are not developing as adults.”
What Happens Next
At the time of writing, the air quality alerts for New York and Connecticut were in effect until 11 p.m. EDT Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the California alerts were in place until 8 p.m. local time on Thursday.
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