When pollution caused chaos in London

How a deadly fog led to calls for cleaner air in the UK’s capital.

You’ve heard of the Great Fire of London, but have you ever heard of the Great Smog? One winter day in 1952, Londoners found their city gradually being smothered in a thick smog that made it hard to see. Smog is a mixture of fog – a natural type of weather where clouds form on the ground – and smoke from burning coal. Londoners were used to smogs but this one lasted for five days and was so bad that it caused the deaths of thousands of people. It eventually led to new laws to control pollution. Why the smog happened On 5 December 1952, it was bitterly cold in London and people lit their coal fires to warm up. Fog swirled about the city and mixed with the smoke…

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The Week Junior (Digital) - 1 Issue, 364

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