Air quality to degrade with European heat wave, WMO says

The heat wave in Europe will trap atmospheric pollutants, causing the air quality to degrade, especially in towns and cities, an official from the World Meteorological Organization said on Friday. "The stable and stagnant atmosphere acts as a lid to trap atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter," Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer, told a Geneva press briefing.

"These result in a degradation of air quality and adverse health effects, particularly for vulnerable people."