Heat Advisories, Bad Air Alert: Hudson Valley Forecast

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — It's so hot and muggy that the National Weather Service has amended its heat advisories to include overnight in the lower and mid-Hudson Valley. Right now, it stretches from noon Wednesday until 8 p.m. Thursday — but the weekend will also be a scorcher.

"Concrete, asphalt and brick structures will tend to give off the heat for many hours after dark," said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, describing the forecasted uncomfortably warm and humid conditions.

In addition, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an Air Quality Alert in the downstate metro area, including Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties, due to high levels of ground-level ozone pollution. It's in effect until 11 p.m.

If you need help to get out of the heat and bad air, New York State has a database of cooling centers you can search by address or by county. Check it out in list or map form.

SEE ALSO: Cooling Centers Open Throughout The Hudson Valley

Children, people with pre-existing respiratory or heart conditions, people doing strenuous outdoor work or exercise and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the effects of ozone and the high heat.

Ground-level ozone is a respiratory irritant that can trigger asthma attacks and aggravate emphysema, bronchitis and other respiratory ailments.

To help reduce pollution levels, here are several tips via Croton-on-Hudson:

• Combine errands into a single trip.
• Postpone unnecessary trips.
• Take the subway, bus, or train instead of driving.
• Avoid letting your vehicle idle, such as at the drive-thru.
• Forward this message to family and friends.
• Avoid operating gas-powered gardening equipment such as lawnmowers. Wait for a day when air quality is better.

Remember, Westchester County has enacted an anti-idling law to prohibit the idling of vehicles for more than three consecutive minutes. Every minute of idling affects the air quality — and also wastes that high-priced fuel.

Here are more tips to combat the brutal heat from O&R:

• Set your air conditioner to the highest temperature your comfort and health will allow to help you save cooling money.
• Close all doors and windows in your home while the air conditioning is running to make things cooler at a lower price.
• Cook, bake or perform other household activities that produce heat and humidity during the cooler times of the day and night.
• Pull your curtains and shades closed to help block out the sun and the heat of the day.

And remember, turn down or turn off air conditioning in your home while you are away or at work to help lower your energy bill.

The heat won't break soon: It's going to be in the mid-90s through the weekend, with conditions making it feel 10-15 degrees hotter.

Here's the five-day forecast from the National Weather Service based on Rockland:

• Wednesday - Increasing clouds, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 98. Light and variable wind.
• Tonight - Mostly clear, with a low around 74. Southwest wind 3 to 5 mph.
• Thursday - Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 101. South wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
• Thursday Night - Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 71. West wind 3 to 6 mph.
• Friday - Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
• Friday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.
• Saturday - Sunny, with a high near 96.
• Saturday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
• Sunday - A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95.
• Sunday Night - A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.