Londoners have been warned to look after themselves as high levels of particle pollution are forecast for Tuesday.
The Mayor has issued a high air pollution alert for the capital after a weekend of dense fog and fireworks smoke allowed pollution to build up over the city.
Forecasters at Imperial College London advised the Mayor to trigger the alert “after dense fog and very light winds allowed pollution to build up over the weekend, and linger into Monday morning”, according to the mayor’s office.
Government monitoring recorded Greater London as “very high” for pollution, with the South East and East Midlands recorded as “high”.
The mayor’s office said smoke from Bonfire Night and Diwali fireworks “is likely to have contributed” to the build-up.
Londoners have been advised to walk, cycle and use public transport more frequently, drive less and avoid unnecessary burning at home.
Mete Coban, the deputy mayor for environment and energy, 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.”
He added: “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.”
The alert is the fourth issued in the capital this year, with the last one made in June during a heatwave.
It follows a weekend in which pollution levels in the capital were already at their worst. Government figures for Sunday showed London at the top of the national scale, with a rating of 10 out of 10 — “Very High” — as fog settled over the city.
The fog also disrupted travel on Monday morning. Seven flights were cancelled at Heathrow and three at London City Airport by 6.30am, with visibility down to 50 metres in places.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued a yellow fog warning for parts of England and Wales, in place from 6pm on Monday to 10am on Tuesday, with a “night of dense fog” forecast. The affected area stretches from Luton to Manchester, covering parts of central and northern England and Wales.
The Met Office has said slower journey times with delays to public transport are possible, with a chance of delays or cancellation of flights. The fog is expected to develop across the warning area on Monday evening and become dense at times overnight, with visibility reduced to less than 100 metres. It will thin and clear during Tuesday morning, but will give way to cooler and frosty weather later in the week.
Met Office chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “Persistent high pressure has brought light winds and clear skies, allowing fog to form, while weak November sunshine has meant it is fairly slow to clear.”
He added: “We’re expecting one more night of dense fog, with a warning in place for some areas. Increasing cloud and wind should then limit further widespread fog from developing.”
Freezing fog is possible further north on Tuesday, and temperatures are expected to fall low enough overnight for frost across parts of Scotland and northern England.
