Long Island weather: Air quality alert Thursday as temps soar

An air quality alert has been issued for Long Island for Thursday, as temperatures are expected to once again soar, forecasters said.

A similar alert was announced by the National Weather Service Wednesday amid the unusually warm conditions this week. It has now been extended to Thursday for Suffolk and Nassau from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., the service said.

The alert is issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and means people should consider limiting strenuous activity outdoors, and those with asthma and respiratory conditions should be especially careful.

Temperatures are predicted to be close to 90 degrees in some parts of the Island Thursday, with sunny skies and light winds.

The forecast earlier in the week was for dry weather through next weekend, but there is now a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon on Friday, which will herald a cooling down.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for sunny skies both Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures in the mid-60s, more normal for this time of year. There is a 60 percent chance of rain Monday, with the chance of a thunderstorm, to kick off the next workweek, the weather service said.