Here is your Saturday forecast-AIR QUALITY ALERT-BEACH HAZARDS

The officials at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management have declared an Air Quality Action Day, in effect through Monday.

Heavy smoke is lingering for the northern half of Indiana currently divided by a stationary front. The front will lift north later Friday providing a brief break in levels before a system late Saturday will bring another round of smoke. High pressure in place Sunday and Monday will recirculate the smoke over most of the state with the primary concern remaining the northern half of Indiana. This smoke, in addition to the other meteorological factors such as light winds and predicted flow from the north, will produce high PM2.5 readings.

– Saturday: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) conditions for

Northwest Indiana.

– Sunday: Unhealthy conditions for Northwest Indiana.

– Monday: Unhealthy conditions for Northwest Indiana

…BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT…

* WHAT…Life-threatening waves and currents expected.

– High wave action: Waves 1 to 3 feet earlier in the day will

build to 3 to 6 feet by early evening into the overnight.

– Life threatening rip, longshore, and structural currents are

expected. Structural currents may be especially strong on the

north sides of piers or breakwalls into the evening.

* WHERE…Northern La Porte county.

* WHEN…From this evening through late tonight.

* IMPACTS…Strong currents can pull swimmers into deeper water

and high waves can sweep people off piers.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.

Do not venture out on piers.

Today Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4pm. High near 89. Heat index values as high as 99. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight Patchy smoke after midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around 66. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday Patchy smoke before 8am. Sunny, with a high near 81. East wind around 5 mph becoming north in the afternoon.

Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 65. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Monday Night Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64