Smoke, Saharan dust, traffic and more can dirty the air we breathe. Apps and websites can alert you to poor air quality days so you can take precautions, especially if your respiratory system is sensitive.

San Antonio is one of 24 areas across the country that did not meet the fall 2021 deadline for the ozone standard.

The U.N. weather agency says the world and especially urban areas experienced a brief and sharp drop in emissions of air pollutants last year.

Air quality will be affected in and around the San Antonio metro area. Air Quality Alert for a portion of the KSAT viewing area on Monday, June 8, 2020 (KSAT 12)How does weather affect air quality? Monday’s air quality issues will also be exasperated by sinking air on the western side of Tropical Storm Cristobal. However, overall air quality can be affected by pollutants other than ozone. There’s no need to be concerned about air quality affecting how COVID-19 spreads from person to person.

According to the ruling, Volkswagen is basically obliged to pay damages to car owners affected by the diesel scandal. Volkswagen said the decision announced Monday would clear the way for settlement of remaining consumer claims in Germany. The decision affects some 60,000 individual claims brought by car owners there; around 262,000 others have already been covered by an 830 million-euro ($904 million) class-action settlement. “For the majority of the 60,000 pending cases, this ruling provides clarity,” the company said in a statement. He had sought the full purchase price but the court ruled he must accept less due to depreciation related to the distance he drove.

SAN ANTONIO – The air quality on Monday, May 18, 2020 will be at levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, due to higher levels of ground-level ozone. This includes San Antonio, Bexar County, and the seven counties directly surrounding Bexar County, as shown in the image below. Air quality alerts valid for several counties in the KSAT viewing area on Monday, May 18, 2020 (KSAT 12)How does weather affect air quality? In general, ground-level ozone in the air can be observed at higher levels when the weather is hot and sunny (as it will be on Monday). That’s why South Texas usually sees more days with higher ozone levels in the spring and summer months.

SAN ANTONIO – The overall air quality across South Texas will not be as good on Friday, May 1, 2020. Specifically, the air quality will be at levels deemed ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups." There’s no need to be concerned about air quality affecting how COVID-19 spreads from person to person. However, overall air quality can be affected by pollutants other than ozone. The very, very fine particulates that compose this dust can lower air quality when plumes of it arrive in South Texas.

SAN ANTONIO – Friday’s hot and sunny weather will contribute to elevated levels of ozone in the air. In fact, ozone is expected to be at levels that will make the overall air quality ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups,’ a level three on a one to six scale. Those ‘sensitive groups’ include young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions, such as asthma. If you or a family member fall into one of these groups, you should limit your time outdoors on Friday. For more on the local air quality and air quality forecast, stick with Your Weather Authority.

BERLIN – German auto giant Volkswagen agreed Friday to pay 830 million euros ($912 million) in damages to hundreds of thousands of customers whose diesel cars were outfitted with software to manipulate emissions readings. The settlement offer was negotiated with Germany’s consumer protection group VZBV, and Volkswagen called it “fair compensation.” The offer amounts to about 15% of the purchase price of the car, and payments range from between 1,350 euros to 6,257 euros ($1,485-$6,882). It will now be up to some 260,000 customers who had sued Volkswagen in Germany, arguing their cars had lost value due to the emission cheating scandal, to accept the offer or to proceed on their own to try and sue for more. In 2015, U.S. regulators caught Volkswagen using software that turned emissions controls off once the car had passed emissions tests. The company has paid out more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines, settlements and recalls.

Automaker Volkswagen has offered 830 million euros as a settlement for owners of diesel vehicles that used software to mask excessive emissions. The company said Friday it was making the offer after talks broke down with a German consumer association that had been negotiating for a deal over fees for the plaintiffs' attorneys. The VZBZ consumer association said that the settlement talks failed because Volkswagen was unwilling to set up what it called a “transparent, trustworthy and secure” way of resolving the claims. In 2015, U.S. regulators caught Volkswagen using software that turned emissions controls off once the car had passed emissions tests. The company has paid out more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines, settlements and recalls.

FRANKFURT – Prosecutors in Germany have filed charges against six more individuals in connection with Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, bringing the total to 11. The prosecutors' statement did not name the individuals charged. Three of the accused were charged with direct offenses and the other three as accessories to the offenses, meaning they assisted or facilitated them. The prosecutors said 32 more individuals were under investigation. The company has paid more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines, settlements and recall costs.

BERLIN – Volkswagen and a German consumer group said Thursday they will conduct talks on a possible settlement in a landmark case in which hundreds of thousands of people aim to establish a right of compensation for cars affected by the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal. At the time, the presiding judge suggested that the two sides could consider a settlement, which he said would be possible though very difficult. The case was brought by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations on behalf of more than 400,000 diesel owners. In a statement Thursday, the two sides said that they have agreed to open talks on a possible settlement and that their common aim is “a pragmatic solution” in the interests of customers. It stressed that it is uncertain whether they will reach a settlement and said both sides have agreed to confidentiality.

BERLIN – A German appeals court has ruled in several lawsuits against automaker Volkswagen, saying consumers who unknowingly bought cars with software installed to cheat diesel emissions tests deserve compensation but those who purchased them later don’t. The Stuttgart appeals court ruled Thursday plaintiffs could demand repayment of the purchase price, minus a portion for usage, for cars bought between 2013-2015. The scandal came to light when U.S. authorities announced the violation in September 2015. It has cost Volkswagen some 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines, recalls and settlements, and several former executives have faced legal repercussions. The court rejected damage claims from plaintiffs who purchased vehices in 2016, saying Volkswagen’s announcements after the scandal broke were “sufficient in content and scope to inform the public.”The rulings can be appealed.