Following a volcanic eruption in Iceland, hundreds of kilometres away, a cloud of sulphur dioxide has passed over Great Britain.
The gas, which can also be produced by burning coal and oil, can cause sore throats, eye irritation or flu-like symptoms. Prolonged direct contact with the gas has been linked to more serious health problems, including asthma and chronic bronchitis.
This SO2 plume, triggered by the eruption near Grindavik on Thursday, moved across the country around 4 a.m. on Sunday, but meteorologists said air pollution levels remained low.
A Met Office spokesman told The Sun: “A cloud of sulphur dioxide emanating from the volcano in Iceland is crossing the UK high in the atmosphere and will dissipate towards the south-east over the next few hours.”
“The impact of this sulphur dioxide was small because it is high in the atmosphere and has little impact on air quality near the ground. Low concentrations near the ground mean that air pollution remains low.
“Air pollution levels are currently low and are expected to remain so across the UK today.”
They said they would continue to “monitor” the situation.
The latest eruption is the sixth volcanic eruption in this region south of the country’s capital Reykjavik since December.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said the disaster was the result of a series of earthquakes.
The nearby fishing village of Grindavik was evacuated, but it is not known how many people were there, as most of the nearly 4,000 residents left the area in November.
This comes after meteorologists predicted some summer sun despite signs of autumn extending into the August long weekend.
The Met Office said there was a “taste of autumn” as temperatures fell widely to single figures overnight ahead of a crisp Sunday morning.
Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said Sunday had “started sunny and clear across much of the UK”, while clouds had moved in over Northern Ireland and western Scotland.
The cloud and rain area is expected to spread eastward and limit sunshine.
In an online weather forecast, he added: “The heaviest and most persistent rain will be in parts of Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and northern England and it will be a windy afternoon for us all.”
“We may see some storms along the Irish Sea coast towards the end of the afternoon.
“And the combination of clouds, wind and rain can make it quite chilly for most of us for the time of year.
“But further down in the southeast, where the sun shines the longest, temperatures only rise to about 20 or 21 degrees.”
Following the long bank holiday weekend in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, warmer temperatures are expected across central and eastern regions next week, with the possibility of hot weather at times.
