Wet weather could have delivered clean Olympic games

The UK's appalling summer of weather could have had an unexpected benefit for Olympic athletes and spectators - it could have delivered one of the least polluted Games in history, according to University of Manchester researchers. Atmospheric scientists are piloting up to eight flights around London, which started in the past month and will continue over the coming weeks, to measure carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and aerosol levels. They found that the long periods of stormy weather and low pressure have resulted in excellent air quality. As the wet weather continued into the Games, this could mean the London Olympic Games will be one of the cleanest in recent times. The University of Manchester Atmospheric Scientists and partners from the Met Office, other UK universities, NERC's National Centre for Atmospheric Science, and other agencies around the UK, have been monitoring air and ground pollution levels over the past two years as part of Clearflo (Clean Air for London)- a collaborative scientific project to provide long-term measurements of London's urban atmosphere. They are monitoring carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone - key markers of pollution and a hazard to health - and harmful aerosol levels in the atmosphere, as well as other chemicals in the atmosphere, and trying to establish what happens to urban pollution and to where it goes. Early results have shown that lengthy periods of low pressure which have affected the UK for much of the summer have meant that pollution has not settled over the capital but instead has been moved offshore.