Syracuse, N.Y. -- Today’s combination of heat and strong sunlight has prompted the state to issue an air quality health advisory for parts of Upstate New York.
The National Weather Service has also issued an updated forecast for the week, which shows temperatures might be a degree or two lower than originally forecast but still unprecedented. A heat advisory remains in place from today to Thursday evening for all of Upstate except the Adirondacks and the Catskills.
The air quality alert has been issued because levels of ozone, formed by the interaction of vehicle exhaust and heat, are expected to reach the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category. Those groups include senior citizens, young children and people with heart conditions or respiratory diseases such as asthma. They are advised to stay inside or at least limit strenuous activity outside from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. today.
The advisory is in effect for Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Oswego, Wayne, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
Similar alerts are likely this week as the heat wave builds.
Get the latest: Syracuse breaks high temp record on Monday, ahead of heat wave
Today’s high temperatures are expected to be in the upper 80s to the mid 90s today across Upstate.
The forecast continues to call for a brutal early season heat wave through Thursday. The weather service says temperatures in Syracuse will be 95 degrees or greater Tuesday through Thursday.
That’s never happened before in Syracuse in the month of June since records began in 1903.
High temperatures in Syracuse are expected to reach 95 degrees or greater Tuesday through Thursday. This would be the first time it's happened in Syracuse in the month of June.National Weather Service