Toxic clouds hovering over sky, Britain on health alert

LONDON: The people in Britain were on Sunday asked to stay inside amid a health alert as acidic gas clouds engulfed the skies of the United Kingdom.

In the country’s weather maps, a huge cloud of sulphur dioxide (SO2) seen hovering over the skies of the country after getting released in volcanic eruptions in Iceland.

SO2 is produced from crude oil or coal combustion, however, volcanoes also produce it in huge quantities when they erupt.

People who inhale this gas can suffer from symptoms like sore throat, coughing, a runny nose, burning eyes, tight lungs and also face difficulty in breathing.

Some of the people can also suffer from asthma and chronic bronchitis due to the direct exposure to SO2.

This gas, which was emitted from coal, led to the famous London smog in 1952 in which thousands of respiratory-related deaths were recorded.

SO2 when combined with water vapour present in the earth’s atmosphere, leads to the formation of acid rain.

Young children and elderly people, who are especially vulnerable to SO2 inhalation were advised to avoid exposure to the gas and stay inside.

The dangerous smog travelled from Iceland to London after it was released in a volcanic eruption in the Reykjanes Peninsula near Grindavik on Thursday.

The eruption was expected to take place because of the ongoing seismic activity in the area as well as the pressure changes in boreholes.

The residents were asked by the local authorities to stay at a distance from the area to ensure their own safety.