Weather forecast: Air quality improves but there's chance of rain

Long Island’s air quality will be at moderate levels — acceptable for everyone — on Monday, with potential scattered showers heading into the Fourth of July holiday, officials said.

New York has lifted all air quality alerts that were issued last week as a plume of smoke from Canadian wildfires raised air pollution levels in the state, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Rain from Sunday helped clear the way for better air conditions, weather experts noted.

Meteorologist Bryan Ramsey of the National Weather Service said Sunday evening that impacts from the smoke will remain minimal but said temperatures on Monday will be in the high 80s, before dipping to around 71 degrees at night.

“We could see some scattered showers and thunderstorms probably at about 30-40% coverage,” Ramsey said.

Showers were likely overnight into Monday, and early midafternoon, before becoming scattered at night, he said. 

The air quality index is expected to be in the mid-70s, or at a moderate level, on Monday. Ramsey noted that the DEC could issue a different advisory if ozone concentrations in outdoor air become unhealthy for sensitive groups, as the upcoming heat and sunny conditions enter the region. 

The forecast for Tuesday, Independence Day, includes a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. The daily high will be near 86 with partly sunny skies. The chance of precipitation is 30%.

Another 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms at night may interfere with the fireworks, but the temperature will be around 71 degrees, forecasters said.