Air pollution in London and southeast hits worst level as public told to reduce physical activity

Britain is still experiencing Saharan dust in its atmosphere, expert says

Authorities say London experienced very high pollution levels on Thursday (AFP via Getty Images)

Air pollution in Greater London and the southeast has spiked to the highest level possible on an official scale, with the public told to look after their health by reducing physical exertion.

The area were experiencing “very high” pollution levels – 10 out of 10 on an index – on Thursday afternoon, according to authorities monitoring air quality.

It comes after air quality in Yorkshire and Humberside was given the same rating in the morning, with the Met Office warning other regions could follow later in the day.

In the afternoon, UK air quality data from the government showed both Greater London and the southeast had moved up to “very high” on its pollution scale.

The general population was advised to reduce physical exertion – particularly outdoors – due to the poor air quality. Adults and children with lung problems, adults with heart problems and older people were told to avoid strenuous physical activity due to the poor air quality.

This health advice is issued to residents in areas when the pollution levels reach 10 out of 10 on air pollution index.

Five regions – the east of England, the east Midlands, the northeast, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside – were detected as having “high” pollution levels on Thursday afternoon.

These residents were advised to consider reducing activity if experiencing discomfort, while at-risk parts of the population are told to reduce strenuous physical activity.

Dr Claire Ryder from the University of Reading, said: “In addition to local and European pollution building up in the atmosphere, we are also still experiencing Saharan dust over the UK, adding to the unpleasant cocktail of particles in the air. This dust was transported by strong winds over the Sahara last week, causing orange snow in the Pyrenees mountains, red skies across Europe and blood rain in the UK.”

She added: “As high pressure moved in across the UK, satellite imagery shows that some of this dust has been recirculated and remains in the current stagnant atmosphere.”

Pollution levels are forecast to drop off over the weekend.

The government proposed new targets for slashing fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – a type of air pollution – last week, which included toughening up maximum legal limits by 2040 and slashing population exposure by 35 per cent by the same time.

But as these plans were put to public consultation, the mother of Ella Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the UK to have air pollution on their death certificate, told The Independent the plans were “too weak” when lives are at stake.