Residents in Illinois and northwest Indiana likely woke up to hazy skies on Sunday morning, as wildfire smoke once again blankets the area in “unhealthy” air.
According to the latest updates to the Air Quality Index, the city of Chicago is experiencing those unhealth conditions with an AQI of 156, according to federal officials.
Similar readings are being reported across most of Illinois and into northwest Indiana.
Residents with respiratory conditions, as well as active children and teenagers, are encouraged to avoid strenuous outdoor activities, to keep any outdoor activities short, and to consider moving activities indoors.
Others are also encouraged to choose less-strenuous activities outdoors, and to shorten time spent outside.
According to the National Weather Service, the entire upper Midwest is under an air quality alert until at least midnight because of the wildfire smoke, which began building in from Canada late Saturday.
While it’s unclear when the smoke will fully clear out, some areas could see relief from an unexpected source, as showers and thunderstorms could develop in central Illinois on Sunday night. Some of those storms could pack straight-line winds in excess of 60 miles per hour, and some parts of the area will be at a “marginal” risk of severe weather in the late-evening hours.
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