Thursday's very warm conditions are causing the air around North Carolina to become stagnant, trapping in air pollution from cars and other sources.

What You Need To Know

  • A Code Orange Ozone Action Day has been issued for Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham

  • Ground level ozone pollution could be unhealthy in these areas for sensitive groups

  • If you have asthma, it may be best to limit your time outside Thursday afternoon

Ground level ozone could reach unhealthy levels for anyone that is especially sensitive. For that reason, state environmental officials issued a Code Orange Ozone alert for some of the larger cities in the state. The air quality alerts are in effect for Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham.

If you have a respiratory illness like asthma, it may be best to limit your time outside today, especially in the afternoon.

These are the first air quality alerts issued in the state this year.  

The alerts come after a recent study from the American Lung Association that Triangle area of North Carolina gets good grades for overall air quality compared to other parts of the country.

We can all do our part to improve the air quality by driving less, avoid extended idling of your car and waiting until after sunset to refuel your vehicle.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for monitoring the air quality, and it uses an Air Quality Index (AQI) to keep the public informed. The index is color coded based on the level of health concern, and there are six levels. 

Related: Understanding air quality alerts in your area