Millions of asthma sufferers have been urged to take sensible precautions after a “smog alert” was issued for the Easter weekend, with high levels of pollutants expected to choke the air in England and Wales.
The Department for Environment has warned that the current warm weather will increase levels of ozone and polluting particles known as PM10s, which can affect people’s health.
Some people, particularly the elderly, infants and those suffering from asthma, may notice an effect on their breathing, the ministry said on Thursday.
It urged the public to take “sensible precautions” such as avoiding outdoor exercise and unnecessary short car journeys on what is expected to be the hottest Easter on record.
“Those suffering from a heart condition and who notice a change in their symptoms should get medical advice as they normally would,” the ministry added.”
Around 5.4 million people in Britain suffer from asthma, according to the charity Asthma UK.
The health warning comes as millions of Britons head for holidays at home and abroad.
The extra bank holiday on the day of the royal wedding, added to the late timing of Easter this year, means workers only need to take three days off next week in order to get an 11-day break, starting on Friday before returning to work on Tuesday May 3.
People staying in the UK can expect more warm and sunny weather over the weekend, with temperatures in London and south-east England likely to peak at 27C (81F) on Saturday.
Some two million Britons left the country on Thursday, but those heading to Europe are likely to see cooler temperatures.
The Spanish island of Majorca will only reach around 18C (64F) on Friday, while the maximum on the Greek Island of Corfu are only likely to reach around 17C (63F).
Meanwhile a number of disruptions have been reported on the UK road network as holiday-makers head off in their cars, though the AA warned that “the worst is probably yet to come”.
The M5 in Somerset is currently jammed up southbound between J20, B3133 (Clevedon) and J21, A370 (Weston-Super-Mare), while in Oxfordshire one lane is closed on the M40 southbound between A40 (M40 junction 7) and B4009 (M40 junction 6).
But there was some good news for motorists as the fire-hit section of the M1 between junctions one and four just north of London fully reopened.
The Association of Train Operating Companies said 1.8 million train journeys were expect to take place on Friday, with two million on Easter Saturday, 900,000 on Easter Sunday and 1.5 million on Easter Monday.
Source : AFP
