Philadelphia, Pa. – Much of eastern Pennsylvania will wake to poor air quality Wednesday, with elevated ozone levels triggering Code Orange alerts from Philadelphia to Allentown and Harrisburg.
According to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, a Code Orange air quality alert will remain in effect throughout Wednesday, June 4. The advisory covers the Philadelphia Metro, Lehigh Valley, Berks County, and the Susquehanna Valley, where ozone concentrations are expected to reach levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Children, older adults, and individuals with heart or lung conditions—including asthma—are advised to limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Cities under alert include Philadelphia, Norristown, Doylestown, Reading, Allentown, Bethlehem, Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg.
In the Philadelphia area, the warning also includes Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks counties. In central Pennsylvania, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, and York counties are affected. Officials recommend staying indoors during peak afternoon hours, avoiding strenuous outdoor exercise, and monitoring local air quality updates at airnow.gov.
With summer conditions expected to persist, officials say additional alerts are possible later this week.
