Deadly fog: 70 years since the beginning of the Great Smog in London

2022-12-05T10:42:45.813Z

On December 5, 1952, the capital of Great Britain was covered by the Great Smog - the strongest atmospheric pollution, which led to mass deaths of people. Due to the cold weather in the autumn of 1952, Londoners tried to keep warm by burning more and more coal. At the same time, due to a powerful anticyclone, a temperature inversion was observed over the capital: coal combustion products and exhaust gases from cars remained at the surface of the earth, creating a toxic gray veil. Harmful substances could not dissipate in the atmosphere, so during the day the city was as dark as at night. The smog lasted for about five days and, according to experts, directly and indirectly led to the death of about 12 thousand local residents. The total number of victims of its consequences is estimated at about 200 thousand people. The Great Smog is considered one of the events that marked the beginning of the global environmental movement.