Red level air pollution: Ukrainians are being advised not to go outside

Mass air pollution is being recorded in Ukraine, exceeding normal indicators by five times.

Specialists strongly recommend that citizens close their windows and limit time spent outdoors. The worst readings (“red level”) are currently being observed both in the capital and in the western regions of the country.

Residents may physically feel the poor air quality: it can cause coughing, headaches, as well as burning in the eyes and throat.

Experts link the situation to a powerful Asian (Siberian) anticyclone that has brought extreme морозы to Ukraine. Besides low temperatures, it has caused stagnant air masses.

Environmental specialist Oleksandr Sokolenko explains that this phenomenon is not new for Ukraine, and the main factors are a combination of weather and human activity.

“Pollution is promoted by the Asian anticyclone. The air mass is currently sluggish. Since the lowest temperature (down to -14°C in Kyiv and down to -30°C in the west) is recorded right near the surface, the cold air becomes heavier and ‘presses’ all emissions to the ground. Because there is no vertical circulation, harmful impurities don’t go anywhere,” the expert notes.

According to the environmental specialist, the main sources of pollution right now are:

• Road transport: exhaust gases in windless weather remain in the near-ground layer.

• Generators: due to the electricity shortage, the widespread use of gasoline generators puts a significant additional load on the atmosphere.

• Wood-fired heating: in western Ukraine, where frosts reach -30°C, people intensely heat with firewood, creating a dense curtain of smoke.

A similar situation is typical for eastern Poland, where the population активно uses coal to heat помещений. On windless days, this created a continuous smog layer up to ten meters above the ground even when the sky was clear.

The situation in Kyiv and the regions will change only with the weather. Oleksandr Sokolenko outlines two scenarios for очистка:

• Warming: the sun will begin to heat the ground, which will trigger vertical air circulation.

• Arrival of a cyclone: active air masses from the Atlantic will bring wind that will “disperse” the accumulated harmful substances.

However, over the next two days, fogs are forecast in the capital, which will only increase the concentration of smog.

“Fogs will contribute to air pollution, and it will be even greater than it is now. Everything will change when windy weather appears. People should listen to the advice and spend less time outdoors. Although because of the severe cold, most people are not particularly inclined to take walks around the city anyway,” Oleksandr Sokolenko concluded.