The National Weather Service and state Department of Environmental Protection have issued an air quality alert for Saturday in several Southwestern Pennsylvania counties, including Westmoreland and Allegheny.

The alert also impacts Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Washington counties.

The Code Orange Air Quality Action Day alert was prompted by conditions — including a strong area of high pressure, abundant sunshine and high temperatures near 90 degrees — that are likely to contribute to high ozone levels.

That means air pollution concentrations in the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups including children, the elderly and people suffering from heart disease or respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis.

The DEP recommends that people who fall within those risk categories limit outdoor activities for the day.

It also encourages those in the affected counties to help reduce ozone air pollution Saturday by:

• Driving less by carpooling or using public transportation;

• Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips;

• Limiting engine idling;

• Refueling cars and trucks after dusk;

• Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that aren’t in use.

Visit airnow.gov for more information on ground-level ozone and local air quality.

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