By Isabella Rodriguez

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The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, relayed by the National Weather Service, Fort Worth, TX, has issued an Air Quality Alert for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, designating Tuesday, September 16, as an Ozone Action Day. On this day, conditions are “expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone air pollution” in the area. The TCEQ advises residents to mitigate pollution through actions such as sharing rides, walking, biking, conserving energy, and maintaining vehicles, per the National Weather Service.

Concurrently, Dallas residents can expect a mix of sunny skies and a slight chance of showers, with the weather forecast predicting a “10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm” today and similar conditions in the following days the forecast according to the National Weather Service; temperatures will hover in the mid-90s during the day, dropping to the mid-70s at night, demonstrating the lingering grasp of summer as autumn awaits its turn on the seasonal stage.

As we look to Wednesday, the forecast extends the pattern of sunny days and warm temperatures with highs of around 95 degrees, but Thursday introduces a “slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm,” giving locals a reason to keep an umbrella handy, and these intermittent showers stretch into the weekend with varying chances of precipitation through Sunday, per the National Weather Service.

With air quality concerns peaking alongside temperatures that defy the proximity of fall, the alerts and weather patterns serve as a dual reminder that the environment commands our respect through its capacity to both nurture and challenge, and the actions of each individual, such as taking lunch to work, avoiding drive-through lanes, or simply sharing a ride can play a part in not only preserving air quality but also in shaping a collective response to the ever-present dialogue between man, machine, and nature.