Sadiq Khan has announced that he is extending London’s high pollution alert into Wednesday.
The mayor had already declared an alert for Tuesday, June 13, but City Hall said he had decided to extend the pollution warning status into the following day, after receiving advice from forecasters at Imperial College London.
The initial Tuesday alert was declared as warm weather and a build up of local emissions hit the capital. Imperial’s forecasters said it was due to “a strong likelihood of high ozone levels, caused by the hot, sunny weather and south-easterly winds blowing existing pollutants from the continent towards London”.
Wednesday will be the third day of high air pollution this year and the 16th since the start of 2018.
In a statement earlier this week, Mr Khan urged Londoners to “look after themselves and each other by choosing to walk, cycle or take public transport, avoid unnecessary car journeys, stop their engines idling and refrain from burning wood or garden waste, all of which contribute to high levels of pollution”.
City Hall issues alerts to Londoners, schools and local boroughs when moderate, high, or very high air pollution is forecast.
High air pollution alerts are also displayed at public locations across London, including all bus stop countdown signs, as well as on the Underground and on roadside signs.
The number of 999 calls being made to London Ambulance Service (LAS) has meanwhile soared to peak pandemic levels due to the heatwave and high pollen count.
The LAS received 7,751 emergency calls on Monday – the most in a day since the Omicron variant caused a massive influx of people being hospitalised with Covid over the 2021/22 festive period.
While more visits were made to St George’s, Epsom and St Helier’s accident and emergency departments (A&Es) on Monday than ever before.
The UK Health Security and the Met Office extended their heat-health alert for London on Tuesday.The pollen count has also been very high, and there has been a surge in people visiting EDs with shortness of breath, the NHS said.
