Air Quality Alert Issued for Monday

The National Weather Service has issued an air quality alert for Monday July 11, 2011. Temperatures on Monday could be as high as 97 degrees.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Maryland Department of the Environment, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and District Department of Environment have issued a code orange air quality alert.

The code orange air quality alert means air pollution concentrations in the area could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, people with asthma, heart disease and other lung diseases, and the elderly.

The effects of air pollution can be lessened by avoiding exercising outdoors or other strenuous outdoor activity.

Temperatures on Tuesday will reach the high 90s, with thunderstorms, before dipping back down into the 80s for the rest of the week. More thunderstorms are in the forecast for Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday as well.