High pollution levels are forecast for large parts of the city region today.
According to The Met Office, the affected area spans Halton, Liverpool, Birkenhead, and Southport, although not St Helens where “moderate” amounts are expected. An air quality map published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) showed a strip of elevated pollution running south from Merseyside through Cheshire to southern Shropshire.
Other locations affected by high levels around England include Humberside, East Anglia and London and Kent, where coastal areas were predicted to endure “very high” air pollution. Most parts of England and Wales are covered by a blanket of moderate air pollution, with only parts of Anglesey, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, the North East, plus Scotland and Northern Ireland enjoying “good” air quality.
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Under Defra guidance during high amounts of air pollution, anyone with lung problems and adults with heart problems are advised to reduce strenuous physical exertion, particularly outdoors and if they experience symptoms. People with asthma may also find they need to use their inhaler more.
Older people are also advised to reduce their physical exertion, and anyone who feels discomfort such as sore eyes, coughing or sore throat should consider doing less activity, particularly outdoors. Defra’s air quality report said air quality will remain but improve tomorrow.
A Defra spokesperson said: “Widespread moderate levels of air pollution will persist across the southern half of the UK for Saturday, with locally high levels still possible. Scotland, much of Northern Ireland and northern England will keep low levels of air pollution.”
Looking further ahead they said: “Air pollution levels will decrease, with the areas of moderate air pollution gradually diminishing in size and frequency, leaving predominantly low levels of air pollution for Tuesday.”
Public Health England published a review in 2019 that said air pollution was the "biggest environmental threat to health in the UK", causing between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths a year attributed to long-term exposure. It said there was "strong evidence" that air pollution causes heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and lung cancer, and exacerbates asthma.
