ATLANTA FORECAST
Today: Mostly sunny. High: 89
Tonight: Mostly clear. Low: 67
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High: 88
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
For the second day in a row, metro Atlanta felt temperatures within 1 degree of the record high, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Metro Atlanta also faced the threat of a code orange smog alert, which would have been a problem for older adults and children.
LEARN MORE: Smog alerts in Atlanta: Understanding code red, code orange air quality warnings | Check today's Air Quality Index for Atlanta
That’s especially the case “if you have asthma, emphysema (or) any kind of heart problems,” Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said.
Currently, the temperature is 87 degrees, the Air Quality Index is 58 and metro Atlanta is under a code yellow smog alert. The high was 89, which is 1 degree shy of the record high set in 1996.
Code yellow is in the moderate range and is one of the least severe designations on the Air Quality Scale.
The Air Quality Scale used in Atlanta:
"Good" AQI is 0 to 50. Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
"Moderate" AQI is 51 to 100. Air quality is acceptable. For some pollutants, there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms.
"Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" AQI is 101 to 150. Although the general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air.
"Unhealthy" AQI is 151 to 200. Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects.
"Very Unhealthy" is AQI is 201 to 300. This would trigger a health alert signifying that everyone may experience more serious health effects.
"Hazardous" AQI is greater than 300. This would trigger a health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.
“We’ll stay mostly dry and very warm, if not hot, the next few days,” Nitz said.
And the warmer it gets, the more likely smog could be a problem.
"Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath," the Environmental Protection Agency said.
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