High Ozone, Hazardous Weather Alerts Issued

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued an alert for "sensitive groups" about high ozone levels along the coastline and the National Weather Service is warning of a "slight risk" of high winds and large hail this afternoon.

The DEEP's alert, called an "Air Quality Action Day," applies to southern Fairfield County and the southern parts of other Connecticut counties along the coast.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency warned, through it's AirNow service, that air quality in cities and towns along the Connecticut coast of Long Island Sound reached levels Monday of "unsafe for sensitive groups."

That means that although the "general public is not likely to be affected" by this level of ozone in the air, "people with lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk of exposure to ozone ... persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air."

The weather service said in a 4:34 a.m. report that for today and tonight, in the Connecticut counties along the coast and in the New York metropolitan area:

"The storm prediction center has placed the area in a slight risk for severe weather," the weather service said. "Damaging winds and large hail are the main threats during the late afternoon and evening hours. Heavy rain is also possible, leading to urban flooding of poor-drainage and low lying areas."

The weather service is also warning of very high "heat indices" of 100 degrees on Thursday and 110 degrees on Friday.

In its specific Fairfield forecast for today, updated at 10:02 a.m., the National Weather Service is predicting showers and thunderstorms, mainly after3 p.m.

"Some of the storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, and heavy rain," the weather service said. "Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. West wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms."

The weather service predicted a high temperature of 86 degrees today.