In brief
After Thursday’s Bonfire Night, fireworks and bonfire displays in southeast England, especially London, caused PM2.5 levels to rise sharply. Met Office maps and Sky News reports found ground‑level soot trapped in thick fog, with Hillingdon recording concentrations of around 600 units. Health officials warn that such levels exceed WHO limits and risk respiratory and cardiovascular harm.
After Thursday’s Bonfire Night celebrations, fireworks and bonfires across southeast England, particularly in London, sparked a dangerous surge in fine particulate matter, with PM2.5 concentrations spiking to around 600 units in Hillingdon on Monday.
Sky News reported that soot particles were trapped near the ground amid thick fog, creating a thick, smothering haze over the region. Met Office maps confirmed the haze, showing air‑quality values hitting the maximum 10 on a 10‑point scale, a level that the Office labels "hazardous".
Liz Bentley, chief executive of Britain’s Royal Meteorological Society, said the high‑pressure system had created stagnant conditions that prevented pollutants from dispersing. “If we pop pollution into the atmosphere, whether that’s from cars, industries, fireworks, or bonfires, that pollution doesn’t go anywhere,” she noted.
Imperial College London was quoted as saying that the soot particles, which are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause breathing difficulties in people with asthma and lung disease. They can also enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The World Health Organization recommends a 24‑hour average of no more than 15 units for PM2.5. The Monday readings far exceeded this limit, raising alarms about the health risks to asthma‑prone and heart‑suffered individuals.
Authorities are monitoring the situation closely, warning that high pressure is likely to linger, keeping the pollution trapped in the air and potentially extending the hazardous conditions for several more days.
