Alert issued for unhealthy air quality throughout all of Illinois on Friday

City of Urbana

URBANA – The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued an alert that the air will be “unhealthy for sensitive groups” throughout the entire state of Illinois on Friday, June 2.

The problem is ground-level ozone. According to a statement from the Illinois EPA, “Ground-level ozone is formed when emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from vehicles, power plants, and other industrial sources, react in the presence of sunlight.” 

People with respiratory or pulmonary disorders are encouraged to take special precautions and follow the regimen prescribed by their doctors. 

“All residents should keep cool and limit physical activity when air quality is low. Possible symptoms related to sensitive groups impacted by low air quality include coughing or shortness of breath,” said the Illinois EPA in a statement on Thursday.

According to the National Weather Service in Lincoln, warm weather will continue in Central Illinois on Friday with a chance for thunderstorms mainly west of I-55. Temperatures will top out in the 89-93 degree range.

The Illinois EPA recommends that people consider taking public transit, ridesharing, biking, and reducing driving. Also, reduce energy demands and the use of gasoline-powered equipment during the day.

Reginald Hardwick

Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director at Illinois Public Media. He oversees daily newscasts and online stories. He also manages The 21st Show, a live, weekday talk show that airs on 7 NPR stations throughout Illinois. He is the executive producer of IPM's annual environmental TV special "State of Change." And he is the co-creator of Illinois Soul, IPM's Black-focused audio service that launched in February 2024. Before arriving at IPM in 2019, he served as News Director at WKAR in East Lansing and spent 17 years as a TV news producer and manager at KXAS, the NBC-owned station in Dallas/Fort Worth. Reginald is the recipient of three Edward R. Murrow regional awards, seven regional Emmy awards, and multiple honors from the National Association of Black Journalists. Born in Vietnam, Reginald grew up in Colorado and is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. Email: rh14@illinois.edu Twitter: @RNewsWILL