Air Quality Alert issued for Chicago area due to high ozone pollution during hot, stagnant weather

An Air Quality Alert is in effect for nearly the entire Chicago area for high levels of ozone pollution during enduring hot and stagnant weather.

The National Weather Service has issued the alert for McHenry, Lake, Kane, DuPage, Kendall, Grundy, Cook and Will counties in Illinois and for Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana through midnight.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has also put an Air Pollution Action Day into effect which is declared when widespread ozone or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the level deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups for multiple days.

The primary pollutant concern Tuesday is ozone, the NWS said. People with pulmonary or respiratory diseases like asthma, as well as senior citizens and children, should limit prolonged outdoor activity if possible.

The Chicago area is experiencing another long stretch of extreme heat this week, with highs in the 90s and humidity Tuesday and Wednesday making it feel like 100 to 105 degrees during the afternoon. Theres' no real relief at night, either, as overnight lows are in the 70s and humidity persists.

The heat wave is expected to last at least through Saturday, and skies will remain clear all week until a chance of rain and storms returns Friday.

Find a cooling center in Chicago or Cook County

Cooling centers will be available throughout the week at community service centers, libraries, Chicago Park District fieldhouses, City College of Chicago facilities, and police stations during their hours of operation.

Six cooling centers across Chicago will be available, including:

• Auburn Gresham Center – 1140 W. 79th St.
• Garfield Center – 10 S. Kedzie Ave. 
• King Center – 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
• North Area Center – 845 W. Wilson Ave.  
• South Chicago Center – 8650 S. Commercial Ave.  
• Trina Davila Center – 4312 W. North Ave.  

Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications also maintains a map of all cooling centers and public facilities in the city that can be used during a heat wave if you don't have reliable air conditioning. The map is interactive and lists all facilities, their locations and their hours.

Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Library, City Colleges of Chicago and Chicago Police District locations are also available to the public to cool down during the heat wave, during their hours of operation. 

Cook County has dozens of cooling centers that are open and available during the summer, and also often extends their hours heat events.

Two locations are open 24 hours a day at all times: the Evanston cooing center at 1703 Orrington Avenue and the Hazel Crest Department of Fire and Rescue at 3000 W. 170th Place. 

Several other cooling centers are open 24/7 during heat waves:

• Orland Park Police Department at 15100 S. Ravinia Avenue
• Bettenhausen Rec Center in Tinley Park at 8125 W. 171st Street
• Tinley Park Police Department at 7850 W. 183rd Street
• Tinley Park Public Safety Building at 17355 S. 68th Court