Summer heat concerns on the rise: How to detect air pollutants, reduce risk

A widespread heat wave has marked summer's arrival in New York and hinted at what's to come this year in the mid-Hudson Valley.

Increased temperatures are not only breaking records each year but bringing along a number of heat-related impacts to infrastructure. The heat also brings concerns for poor air quality, as well as the health and well-being of local residents.

New York State climatologist and emeritus senior lecturer at Cornell University Mark Wysocki said those living in the mid-Hudson Valley have it a bit worse, as the valley tends to trap air pollutants in higher concentrations.

Why are our summers getting hotter each year?

To understand why every summer is creating new records for temperatures, Wysocki said there needs to be a general understanding of normal climate variation, which is tied extensively to what happens in the Pacific Ocean through the El Niño & La Niña reoccurring climate pattern, otherwise called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

In an El Niño situation, from along the equator in Central America all the way to Australia, the surface temperature of the Pacific warms.

"What that will do is it disrupts the storm tracks, but it also heats the atmosphere, as more warm water is exposed," he said. "That will then transfer its heat to the Earth's atmosphere, and that atmosphere will be transported around the world."

More: It's about to get hot: See schedule for when pools open in the mid-Hudson Valley

La Niña is the cool phase of ENSO. Our globe has normal warming and cooling patterns that start in the Pacific, but once you include climate change — adding only a few several-tenths of a degree to the global average temperature — combined with an El Niño pattern, that causes the entire world to have increased temperatures.

There are some regions that will not be as hot or feel the effects compared to others, Wysocki said, but those are small amounts of surface area compared to the entire Earth.

Severe weather events may become more frequent too

"Already this spring, we've had an increased number of tornadoes and severe weather events," Wysocki said.

The increased heat as well as the heating of the atmosphere, Wysocki noted, will most likely continue to lead to more of these extreme weather events extending into the summer. For example, this summer we could see bouts of exceedingly heavy rainfall, with flooding being a concern.

"The mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast may see some of these kinds of scenarios where severe weather knocks out your power, followed by heat and humidity, without access to electricity," he said.

He emphasized being patient with the utility people during these times, as with such extensive damage, it can take days to get power lines back up and running. However, he noted, "I think utility companies have learned a good lesson."

He said due to these more frequent weather events, they've been better at mobilizing aid to other nearby areas, states and regions.

Taking precautions to stay safe from pollutants and excess heat

With pollutants expected to be in higher concentrations this summer, particularly in the Hudson Valley, Wysocki said wearing a mask — such as an N95, KF94 or a KN95 — will help to filter pollutants during events where smoke from forest fires come about or alerts for particularly poor air quality come through.

It may not help as much against ozone, but will against other pollutants like particulate matter. "These are fine particles that you breathe in through your nose and mouth, and they can get all the way down to your lungs," he said.

Besides that, he encourages people to do less strenuous exercise and work outdoors, as the more you stress, the heavier you breathe and take in more air, which in turn goes deeper into your lungs.

If possible, he suggests lowering the amount of exercise you do in the peak times of the day, due to the heat and health hazards that go along with it, and due to the pollutants, to reduce the risk of breathing in so many contaminants.

If you would like to continue exercising and being active or have to do work outdoors, Wysocki recommends limiting the amount of time outdoors to early mornings or later in the evenings and at night during bad air quality events.

Similarly, people should follow the same precautions for their pets — go outside only during mornings and at night, limit exercise and play time outside during the peak times of day.

"We always concentrate on humans, but don't forget about your pets," he said.

Indicators for poor air quality versus from smoke

There are certain indicators you can look to, to better understand when these instances of poor air quality arise.

The first thing that will show up is hazy skies, and not from smoke, Wysocki said. When pollutants show up, they create hazy, murky-looking skies, that are brownish in color. Tan-colored skies indicate smoke.

As well, the higher the concentration of pollutants, the less visibility you'll have. You'll see pollution more than you'll smell it, unlike smoke, which you can easily smell.

When these conditions occur, Wysocki said to take these as the warning signs to reduce outdoor activity. Those with preexisting health conditions, such as respiratory or heart problems, should take action to stay indoors much sooner than the general population.

What else can be done besides taking precautions each summer?

In the short-term, Wysocki said there are always ways we can be more proactive to combat climate change, with the goal of reducing the impacts the pollutants have, including building better homes, improving the structures already built and reducing emissions.

"It took us a long time to get here, and it's going to take us a long time to get out of it," he said.

Offering improvements in air quality in homes, schools and businesses could help, Wysocki said, though the effects might not be seen for some time.

"We're kind of behind the curve, but I think what we need to start doing is long-term planning," he said.

If there are significant reductions made to greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane as well as other types of gases, "it will take 10 to 12 years before you start seeing any kinds of benefits," he said.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Summer 2024 in NY: Severe weather and how to stay safe