There is an Air Quality Alert for much of northern Ohio.

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency issued an advisory for ground level ozone for Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties.

Air quality levels will be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, the elderly and those with breathing difficulties. The advisory expires at midnight Tuesday.

According to the agency, the effect of ozone depends on where it lies in the atmosphere.

“Stratospheric ozone is ‘good’ because it protects living things from ultraviolet radiation from the sun,” the agency’s website said. “Ground-level ozone … is ‘bad’ because it can trigger a variety of health problems.”

Ground ozone is most likely to reach dangerous levels on hot, sunny days. This is because it is created when pollutants emitted by cars and power plants react in the presence of sunlight, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures near Kent will reach as high as 86 degrees. To minimize effects, NOACA recommends driving less, not idling vehicles, refilling tanks after sunset and waiting for grass to grow longer before the next mow.

Alton Northup is editor-in-chief. Contact him at [email protected].