Air quality to degrade with European heat wave, WMO says

FILE PHOTO: The Eiffel Tower is surrounded by a small-particle haze which hangs above the skyline in Paris, France, December 9, 2016 as the City of Light experienced the worst air pollution in a decade. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

The heat wave in Europe will trap atmospheric pollutants, causing the air quality to degrade, especially in towns and cities, an official from the World Meteorological Organization said on Friday.

"The stable and stagnant atmosphere acts as a lid to trap atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter," Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer, told a Geneva press briefing.