HEALTH ALERT: Toxic smog to blanket Nottinghamshire today

The UK Pollution Index for today (Thursday 19th March 2015)

The Government has issued a health alert over potentially dangerous levels of toxic smog across Nottinghamshire.

The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has warned that pollution could reach dangerously high levels today.

An area of high pressure sitting over the UK, pulling in polluted air from Europe, is responsible for the smog.

DEFRA’s Pollution Index ranges from 1-10, and in Nottinghamshire today pollution could reach 8 or 9 on the scale.

It could trigger problems for people with respiratory conditions, the elderly and the young.

A DEFRA spokeswoman said: “Winds bringing in pollution from the continent, combined with locally-generated pollution and still weather conditions has led to some high pollution measurements across the UK.”