Ozone Alert

When I first arrived in early April, Mexico City was under an ozone alert.  Even though it is still early for the rainy season to start, we had a number of afternoon and evening thunderstorms and rain showers that helped the air quality.

Now high pressure and high temperatures have returned.  Yesterday the city issued another ozone alert in effect as of today.  There is a chance of scattered thunderstorms late this afternoon which could improve the situation.  However, the probability of precipitation is less than 50%.  The outlook for the next couple of days is hot and dry, so the ozone alert could last a while.

In Mexico City people are banned from driving one day per week depending on the last digit on the car's license plate.  For example, if your plate ends in 5 or 6, you are not allowed to drive on Mondays.  Late model cars that pass emission tests are exempt from this restriction.  However, when there is an air quality alert such as we have now, those exemptions do not apply.  The last digit on Alejandro's plate is "6".  Fortunately for me, even if the ozone alert continues, Alejandro will be able to drive me to the airport when I depart Mexico on Thursday.