The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare the Air alert for Thursday because of high temperatures and light wind that are expected to combine with motor vehicle exhaust to create unhealthy smog levels in the region.

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid to upper 90s in inland parts of the Bay Area on Thursday with light wind speeds expected, according to the National Weather Service.

The air district issues the Spare the Air alerts when pollution from smog, also known as ozone, is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. Thursday’s alert is the seventh alert issued for smog by the district this year.

Smog can cause throat irritation, congestion and chest pain and is particularly harmful for young children, seniors and people with respiratory or heart conditions. The air district recommends that any outdoor exercise in the area take place in the early morning hours when the smog levels are lower.

Dan McMenamin is the managing editor at Bay City News, directing daily news coverage of the 12-county greater Bay Area. He has worked for BCN since 2008 and has been managing editor since 2014 after previously serving as BCN’s San Francisco bureau reporter. A UC Davis graduate, he came to BCN after working for a newspaper and nonprofit in the Davis area. He handles staffing, including coaching of our interns, day-to-day coverage decisions and management of the newswire.