We’re not going to hide the fact that we were waiting for the sun like the messiah. Except that its return, and that of a more summery mercury, is unfortunately accompanied, and as is often the case, by a clear deterioration in air quality in the region.
This Friday, the whole of Pas-de-Calais (from Artois to Calaisis and Boulonnais via Béthunois, Lensois and Audomarois) and a good part of the north-west of the North (Flanders, Lille metropolis, Douaisis, Valenciennois) are subject to an increase in concentrations of fine particles on the one hand (the finest PM2.5 and PM10) and to an increase in the presence of ozone on the other hand.
Result: the air quality, measured by Atmo Hauts-de-France, is described as “poor” in these sectors and “degraded” in Avesnois and Cambrésis, a little less affected.
As a reminder, fine particles are generated by human activity (automobile traffic, industries, heating, etc.) while ozone results from a chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides and volatile compounds under the influence of the sun.
The weather conditions this weekend, not very favorable for the dispersion of these pollutants, should not improve the situation. Atmo table is already on a status quo this Saturday.
If the situation were to persist, the authorities could trigger a pollution alert after three days. Until now, 2024 has not been the subject of any alert of this type in Hauts-de-France. There were six last year over the same period.
#French
