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Air Quality Warning for NYC issued by National Weather Service

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Jonathan Rizk and Matthew Euzarraga

15 mins ago

NEW YORK (PIX11) – The National Weather Service issued an air quality warning for New York City on Friday.

The NWS issued an alert for New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Westchester and Rockland counties from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The alert warns that the air quality index could be above 100.


What is the air quality index?

The AQI is used for daily air quality reporting. It provides information on how clean or polluted the air is and any related health effects that may be of concern.

How does the AQI work?

Think of the AQI as a thermometer that ranges from 0 to 500. The higher the reading, the higher the air pollution and the greater the health risk.

A low AQI value means good air quality. On the other hand, an AQI value above 300 means dangerous air quality.

What are the measurements of the air quality index?

The AQI is divided into six categories. Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. See the table below.

AQI color Extent of the burden Index measurement Description of air quality
Green None (good air quality) State of emergency: All citizens and sensitive groups are affected Little to no health risk
Yellow Moderate 51-100 Acceptable, but risky for some
Orange Unhealthy for sensitive groups 101-150 This value affects sensitive groups and can be harmful to health
Red Unhealthy 151-200 Sensitive groups and the general public are increasingly affected
Purple Very unhealthy 201-300 Can cause health risks for everyone
Chestnut brown Dangerous air quality 301 and above Emergency conditions; all members of the public and sensitive groups are affected

Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, DC. He joined PIX11 in August 2022. See more of his work here and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Contact us at [email protected].

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