Earlier this year the Met Office predicted a return to the traditional English summer of “three fine days and then a thunderstorm”. Whilst July was one degree warmer than average and had around 50% more rain than usual, fulfilling predictions that the weather was going to be warmer and wetter than usual, it was a long time before we got the 3 fine days in a row! The 1st was hot and saw moderate ozone concentrations reported at over 30 monitoring sites, but the air was rapidly cleared by heavy rain. Dust problems due to demolition work in Leamington Spa continued with daily concentrations of particles breaking standards on the 1st and 2nd, and significant peaks in pollution up until the monitor stopped working on the 7th due to computer problems. There was an unusual peak in nitrogen dioxide on Marylebone Road in London on the Saturday 5th of July. This coincided with the start of the Pride London parade in Baker Street and was probably caused by congestion due to the re-routing of traffic around the march as Baker St, Oxford Street and Regent Street were all closed off.
Most places in the UK then had clean air up until the 24th when stable conditions brought hot weather to most of the UK , lasting through till the 29th. Over this week much of the country experienced moderate ozone concentrations. Although particle levels were also elevated, it was only places with nearby traffic or industrial sources, like Marylebone Road, Glasgow, Scunthorpe and Stockton that saw standards being broken. The low, north-easterly winds also led to sulphur dioxide standards being broken in Grangemouth in Scotland due to the nearby oil-refinery. Tim Chatterton.
