Toxic gas cloud from volcano hits north of Scotland
The cloud is made of a colourless but strong-smelling gas that should leave the British Isles by Wednesday evening.
by Susie Beever · Daily RecordA toxic gas cloud from volcanic eruptions in Iceland hit the north of Scotland early on Monday morning before it moved down the UK.
The sulphur dioxide cloud was triggered by volcanic eruptions near Grindavik, Iceland, on August 22 and hit a small part of the Highlands in the early hours of August 26.
Experts at the Met Office have been monitoring the situation and predict it will move south through Scotland and across the border this week, reports the Mirror.
The cloud is made of a colourless but strong-smelling gas that should leave the British Isles by Wednesday evening.
Sulphur dioxide is a toxic gas usually produced by burning coal or crude oil, but is also emitted during volcanic eruptions.
It can result in irritation of the throat as well as nausea and tummy ache if breathed in at high levels. Meteorologists have said "small concentrations" mean UK air pollution should stay relatively low at ground level.
It comes after a sixth eruption since December occurred in southwest Iceland last week, spewing lava and gas into the atmosphere.
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A Met Office spokesperson said: “A sulphur dioxide plume which originated from the volcano in Iceland has been crossing the UK high up in the atmosphere and will soon clear to the south-east. Impacts have been low from this sulphur dioxide, as it is high in the atmosphere and is having little influence on ground-level air quality.
“Small concentrations at surface level mean that the air pollution levels remain low. Air pollution is currently low and expected to remain that way for the whole of the UK today.
"We’re continuing to monitor any sulphur dioxide release originating from Iceland, with current forecasts suggesting little influence on UK surface air pollution in the coming days.”
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