When Is Hot Weather Dangerous? American Lung Association Offers App for That

By Ben Joyce

A Heat Advisory from the National Weather Service will likely extend into Saturday until an expected front and thunderstorms cool things off in Northern Virginia.

The American Lung Association has detailed some of the dangers of the hot temperatures and increased ground-level ozone in the area in a press release distributed Friday. 

The Lung Association offers a free smartphone app, State of the Air, which monitors current levels of ozone and particle pollution, and sends push notifications when either pollutant reaches unhealthy levels.

The app allows users to get current air quality conditions and next-day forecasts. Anything over a Code Orange — signifying risk to sensitive groups — and an alert is pushed out. It suggests outdoor activities be rescheduled and work outside be limited.

Ozone is formed when heat and sunlight mix with pollution from tailpipes, smokestacks and other sources. It’s the most common air pollutant and can lead to coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks or even premature death. 

More than 2.6 million Virginians live in counties that received grades of either “D” or “F” in the Lung Association’s 2013 report for their dangerous levels of ozone pollution.

The American Lung Association app is available for iPhone in the App Store and for Android in Google Play, or at www.lung.org/stateoftheairapp.