The Saharan dust cloud which created breathing problems for many Britons has eased today, with South Westerly winds from the Atlantic pushing the dirty air away from the United Kingdom.
The smog, which caused Britain’s air pollution ratings to rise from three to eight out of 10 in some areas over Wednesday led to Britain’s ambulance services being inundated with phone calls. The almost 24 hour news coverage of the event raised fears, and the London Ambulance service experienced a 34 percent rise in phone calls of people stating that they were experiencing breathing problems.
Even the British Prime Minister seemed rattled by the dust cloud, claiming that he had skipped his morning run and opted to stay indoors.
But London’s Conservative mayor Boris Johnson said he was unconcerned about the pollution levels.
He told ITV London: “I’m urging people just to have a little balance here. I cycled this morning and it seemed perfectly fine to me.
“I think we need to keep a little bit of a sense of proportion. I cycled perfectly happily around today. I understand asthmatics and people who are particularly vulnerable perhaps need to be cautious but there’s no reason why people shouldn’t go about their daily lives.”
London’s Ambulance Service recorded 5526 emergency call-outs on Thursday, up from 4534 the week before.
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