home in Austin back to life.

First off tonight, dangerously bad air ality as wildfire smoke blankets the Chicago area.

>> The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has issued a red forecast error, pollution action day and extended it through tomorrow night.

The agency says Chicago is air quality has reached very unhealthy levels and urging all Chicagoans to stay indoors.

Joining us to discuss this is Scott Collison, atmospheric scientist at Argonne National Laboratory.

Welcome back to the program.

Thank you, Nick.

So not the most fun circumstances.

You know, Chicago wake up to the city just covered in smoke.

Where is it all coming from?

It's coming from Canada and on the border with Minnesota.

There's a series of wildfires burning through the state of province of Ontario and the mayor and conditions are just right to give us a nortterly wind, which is moving all that wildfire smoke down over a area.

And we mentioned, you know, the various warnings that are going out, just how bad is this air quality?

It's bad.

It's bad as it can get.

The pay is now extended the equality, a lead which I know a cold.

The used to watches and warnings in the language around tornadoes.

That sounds fairly minor.

It's not mine.

And it extended that through tomorrow evening.

This is about as bad as it gets various scales as you go through quality alerts, this is blowing through the highest level which is has a dist and is way beyond Folks should be avoiding any strenuous activity outside.

If they have the privilege to be able to do that, you know, what are the health risks here and who's most vulnerable from those risks, folks with respect treat illnesses and underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure, asthma and so forth.

the air is full of what we call particulate matter PM 2.5, which is the mask all particles but a smaller than 2.5 million of to the reason we use PM 2.5 it's really, really high today.

It is just the right size to get into your lungs and into your bloodstream.

So has, but Showtime effects, including coughing U.S.

hope, but long-term effects, including increased risks of things like cancer.

So, folks, you know, even if they have to maybe spend some time outside, it would say, you know, as little as possible is is the guidance there?

Yeah, it was possible.

And 95 will do a good job.

I know way back to wearing masks and so forth.

Today is the day to skip that that that evening jogging that morning jog tomorrow morning because it will do you more and then good.

And folks should really avoid doing any strenuous exercise outdoors.

Folks who have a conditioning run that fan all night long.

Even if you want to cool down on that final night long that the filtration system in your system will really help reduce those PM 2.5 levels indoors to a more reasonable level.

you know, when can we expect to see some of the smoke clear out to pass that question?

There's actually a lake breeze is propagating across the region right now.

That is setting up a couple of storms around Naperville right now.

Wade is a stone.

The good news is that watch and temporarily reduce that particulate matter.

But the northwesterly winds will come back in tomorrow and making the equality worse.

We'll get another series of storms and a warm front tomorrow.

Winds will switch to the south with that means we'll have the hot, humid day instead of the smoky air.

And, you know, certainly with these, you know, these fires burning, it could take some, you know, some time you know, for those to be contained for those to be out.

So.

>> Potential for for more of this in the future, 100% as the winds turn back to the Northwest.

This is a lodge fire complex that will bring that U.S.

>> So keep an eye on the forecasts.

Keep an eye on whether Gov and you'll be able to see with futurists smoke is focused.

All right.

Well, here's hoping for for clear skies that last.

Scott College, thanks very much.

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