People across Suffolk and north Essex are living under a haze today as air pollution spikes.
A warning has been issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) about a spike across the region which could impact on people with respiratory problems such as asthma.
Red dust from the Sahara Desert blown over from the continent is contributing to the smog effect.
Phil Garner, a forecaster at Weatherquest, said the smog was set to stay throughout today.
He said: “A South-Easterly wind today is bringing a lot of pollutions from Belgium and France, and with the high pressure a lot of things will get added closer to the surface.
“We will continue to see that until tonight when a fresher Westerly wind comes in, so this haze will continue today and into the early part of tonight.
“Combined with sunny conditions and some high temperatures, it really is the worst sort of conditions for atmospheric pollution.
“Trees have started to show some pollen, though grass pollen has not really kicked in yet, but this may be an added factor.”
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