Albion – that’s called the UK because this weather is for the English are not uncommon. It would seem that it can be dangerous in the fog also limited visibility, and as a consequence increase the likelihood of traffic accidents? But fog descended on London on 5 December 1952, that he had truly fatal and claimed the lives of 12 000 people
Winter 1952, Britain started pretty early for that country. In November he established strong frosts, the buyout was accompanied by a snowfall, and by December the winter weather finally absorbed the territory of the Kingdom.
In addition, the air of London is actively polluted with smoke pipes of factories and plants, since the industry is actively recovering from the destruction of war.
A contribution to the environmental pollution brought numerous cars and public transport. Just at this time in London, the trams were replaced by buses with diesel engines.
Strong frosts have forced on all cylinders to operate the plant, the main fuel for which is coal. But, in addition, in London there were hundreds of thousands, if not millions of fireplaces otaplivaya coal. During the days in December 1952 the residents of London, to somehow keep warm, did not spare coal, not knowing what it’ll turn out.
England coal was mined on its territory, but in the midst of crisis, high-quality coal was exported, and for “home use” remained cheaper coal from the impurities of sulfur, which led to a particularly caustic and harmful smoke.
And here on 4 December 1952, London was in the zone of action of the anticyclone, which led to the so-called temperature inversion: the stale cold air was covered with warm air. As a result, the capital of England fell the cold fog that had no way to dissipate. And inside this fog accumulated has no outlet exhaust, factory emissions, soot particles from hundreds of thousands of fireplaces.
Of course, Londoners, was not terrified by the fog, but this strange phenomenon they had never seen before. Fog due to the accumulation of harmful substances had yellow-black color, and was given the name pea soup.
Because of the absolute calm of the fog, or, more precisely, smog, hung over the British capital from 5 to 9 December 1952. Every day, due to the fact that the concentration of harmful impurities in the air increased, the situation was rapidly deteriorating.
The visibility dropped so much that I had to stop the movement of public transport except metro. The most reckless drivers of the buses tried to remember the dawn of motoring, sending the front of the bus the man with the flashlight, however, the situation is not saved.
People didn’t even see your own feet, and reports of asphyxiated animals came from the city’s outskirts increasingly.
Stopped even ambulance work: the possibility to get sick is simply not there.
We must pay tribute to the Londoners who have suffered their share had fallen to the test of purely English composure, despite the fact that in the city these days employees of ritual services is literally knocked down to the number of orders and in the cemeteries of London lined natural Queuing of funeral processions.
But when the smoke cleared, literally and figuratively, the question arose: what was that all about?
Investigation into London’s Great smog reached the level of the Parliament, which were announced appalling numbers. According to the Ministry of health, the victims of the smog were about 4,000 people. The main cause of deaths – respiratory problems. Even healthy adults and people complained about the lack of air, and for the elderly, chronic patients and infants, the Great smog became fatal.
According to experts, the main source of evil was in the poisonous sulfur gas exited from the chimneys of London.
Further studies have shown that various respiratory diseases associated with the effects of the Great smog of 1952, was discovered 100 000 people. During the first months after the total number of victims has increased to 12,000.
The great London smog of 1952 for the world was a clear demonstration of how dangerous the pollution of the environment. In the UK, steps were taken to tighten legislation to prevent the recurrence of environmental disasters on such a scale.
Good old Britain is inconceivable without fireplaces like the one who whiled away the evening Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, was forced to change in order to survive.
