Air pollution soars as fog traps emissions in England’s urban areas

Air pollution levels soared to "very high" across urban areas of England on Monday due to still, foggy weather that trapped emissions following a weekend of fireworks and bonfires. Government monitoring indicated that 11 sites, primarily in London and Greater Manchester, reached the highest band on the 10-point index for particulate matter in the 24 hours to 10am. Additionally, 27 sites recorded "high" levels in the capital, the north-west, the Midlands, Yorkshire, and the east of England.