Heat Advisory, Air Quality Alerts Issued For New Hampshire

GRAY, ME — Forecasters and state environmental officials issued heat advisory and air pollution warnings Wednesday, warning of hot weather and declining air quality on Thursday and possibly Friday.

The National Weather Service issued both hazardous weather outlook and heat advisories this afternoon, warning of hot temperatures on Thursday. A heat advisory will be in effect from 1 to 7 p.m. as temperatures rise into the 90s after reaching 89 degrees in Concord, 90 in Nashua, and 87 in Portsmouth on Wednesday. Heat index values were expected to rise to 96.

“Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses,” an alert stated.

Forecasters advised to “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.”

On Friday, temperatures are expected to be 91 in Concord, 92 in Nashua, and 86 in Hampton.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services also issued air pollution concentration alerts for the Seacoast noting air quality would be “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in Hampton, North Hampton, and Portsmouth Thursday.

“NHDES officials are calling for an Air Quality Action Day and advise sensitive individuals in this area to take precautions to protect their health by limiting prolonged outdoor exertion,” the alert said. “Sensitive individuals include children and older adults; anyone with lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis; and people who are active outdoors. Even non-sensitive individuals could experience mild health effects and may want to consider limiting strenuous or prolonged outdoor activities.”

Ground-level ozone, the main component of smog, will be unhealthy in Coastal Rockingham County due to wind transporting air pollution from the Boston metro area to the Seacoast of the Granite State.

Cheshire, Hillsborough, and inner Rockingham County will have moderate air pollutant concentrations.

This weekend, there will be some relief due to expected “heavy rainfall” across the state.

The latest weather conditions can be found on the front page of every Patch.com site in the United States, including the 14 New Hampshire Patch news and community websites covering Amherst, Bedford, Concord, Exeter, Hampton, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Salem, Windham, and Across NH. Local weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Thursdays. Alerts are published when needed.

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