Great Smog of London

Since the 13th century, London has been known for its poor air quality.  The worst episode took place in December 1952, which led to many deaths and changes in the law.  Here's what happened.

From December 5-9, 1952, a great smog covered all of London.  Cold weather combined with an anticyclone and windless condition, collected airbourne pollutants (mostly from coal), to create this condition.  The entire city was blanketed with smog, so thick, that you could not see even 5 feet in front of you.  4,000 died as a result of the great smog, although the number has recently been revised upwards to 6,000.  Over 100,000 people were made ill by the effects on the respiratory tract.

The good news is that the great smog led to changes in environmental research, government regulation and public awareness of the relationship between air quality and health, and finally, to the Clean Air Act of 1956.

Interestingly, as soon as the weather changed, the smog disappeared.  It was a perfect storm.  All the conditions were right for smog, and as soon as those conditions ceased to exist, the smog was gone.  Four years to get a Clean Air Act passed.  The British Parliament works about as slowly as our Congress!