Living up to the British stereotype in spades; I’m back to talk about the weather. And today’s topic of discussion is the high air pollution alert that has just been issued in London. Following a week of fog and fireworks, forecasters at Imperial College London reportedly advised the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to trigger the alert – and Londoners have been warned to look after themselves and ‘do their bit’ to help.
A statement from the Mayor’s Office said that ‘dense fog and very light winds allowed pollution to build up over the weekend’ and that ‘smoke from Bonfire Night and Diwali fireworks and from wood burning is likely to have contributed’. This is the fourth alert of its kind to be issued this year, the last of which was during the heatwave in June.
Additional details have been shared with London’s GPs and emergency departments to ensure that they have the information to be able to support vulnerable patients. And the Mayor’s office has also released a list of that Londoners can do to help reduce air pollution. Londoners are being encouraged to walk, cycle, and use public transport more frequently, drive less and drive smarter, compost or take garden waste to a refuse instead of burning it, and avoid unnecessary burning at home.
According to The Standard, the boroughs facing the highest air pollution are Westminster, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Merton, Ealing, Brent, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, and Bexley – all of which were reportedly rated ’10’ on Apple Maps’s pollution map.
The Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban, said: “Toxic air is responsible for thousands of premature deaths in London each year, which is why the Mayor has done everything in his power to tackle it, which includes launching the world’s largest clean air zone.
“It is really important we all do our bit to protect those who are most vulnerable as we continue working to build a safer and greener London for all.”
