Another air quality alert has been issued for New York City some of the surrounding area Tuesday. Our Air Quality Index, or AQI, hit 123 by noon, which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The alert is in effect for the five boroughs, as well as western Long Island, the Hudson Valley, northern New Jersey and southwestern Connecticut. 

Why is NYS air quality bad today?

Yet another round of smoke and haze from ongoing wildfires burning in Canada's Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces drifted into the Tri-State region on Monday. Not only does it turn the skies from clear to milky and hazy, it also impacts air quality. 

The wildfires prompted another air quality alert for the New York metropolitan area late last month. 

Today's alert is also due to ground level ozone, which is common in the hot and humid summer months as pollution gets trapped in the air.

Nice weather ahead this week

Tuesday is shaping up to be warm and hazy with highs in the mid 80s. Unfortunately, we will see more cloud cover than we did Monday.

Clouds will get the upper hand Wednesday, keeping temperatures in check — just the low 80s. Smoke will continue to linger aloft, however, producing hazy skies once again.

While an air quality alert has not yet been issued for Wednesday, it's possible one may be reissued for parts of the area.

By Thursday, the haze should begin to lift, with highs in the low 80s.