What IS wrong with the air today?

[Dave2002]

There appear to have been dire warnings about going out and breathing the air in the UK today. Seems OK to me, though I've not been out for long.

Is there something "they" are not telling us?

[mangerton]

There's nothing wrong with the air in this part of the UK. It's a lovely fresh sunny spring day.

[Dave2002]

There's nothing wrong with the air in this part of the UK. It's a lovely fresh sunny spring day.

There have been extreme warnings on the radio about pollution and air quality, and if we have even the slightest thing wrong with us we shouldn't go out. Anyone over 40 should stay at home!

[Honoured Guest]

The air quality was forecast to be of lowest quality in South East England. People with heart and lung conditions were advised not to exert themselves outdoors today. People who ignore the advice and then suffer health consequences should be denied NHS attention, unless they have a mental health condition.

[MrGongGong]

. People who ignore the advice and then suffer health consequences should be denied NHS attention, unless they have a mental health condition.

aaaah the joys of spring
here are some baby lambs to cheer you up

[Nick Armstrong]

There's nothing wrong with the air in this part of the UK. It's a lovely fresh sunny spring day.

Well I just cycled across the very centre of London from a meeting west to near St Paul's and noticed nothing particular about the air quality. The only oddity was quite dark cloud to the north and at one point there was a slight shower, which dried instantly - I wondered if its unpredicted arrival was caused by particles in the atmos precipitating moisture from the air.

It is exceptionally warm and sunny and actually really rather nice!

[Honoured Guest]

Well I just cycled across the very centre of London

Really, this merits a thread of its own, but where exactly is the very centre of London?

[Nick Armstrong]

Really, this merits a thread of its own, but where exactly is the very centre of London?

Call it zone 1 if you like. Or in this specific case, W11 to EC4.

[Honoured Guest]

Call it zone 1 if you like. Or in this specific case, W11 to EC4.

Oh, I was hoping you'd say the Floral Hall or the fourth plinth or Broadcasting House or ...

[Daniel]

Pierced earrings, shocking, the youth of today! It wasn't like that when I was a lamb.

[teamsaint]

aaaah the joys of spring
here are some baby lambs to cheer you up

cheers Gongers, they are lovely.

But HG is absolutely right, NHS treatment should be reserved for those who do what the government say.
after all, the government pays for it.

Air quality is fine here today. the Royal Ordnance Corps had to explode a suspect device outside our house at 7.30 AM, but it doesn't seem to have changed things for the worse.

[Nick Armstrong]

Oh, I was hoping you'd say the Floral Hall or the fourth plinth or Broadcasting House or ...

Oh I see, the centre-spot... Isn't it supposed to be the Victorian stalacmite in front of Charing Cross (on the site of the eponymous medieval cross for Queen Eleanor?)

EDIT: Wikipedia for what it's worth supports that:

Official use as central point

Since the second half of the 18th century Charing Cross has been used as a reference to the centre of the metropolitan London area as contrasted to the City of London to the east, although the terms 'west end' and 'east end' take as their central referents the City. From the early 19th century, legislation applicable only to the London metropolis used Charing Cross as a central point to define its geographical scope. Its later use in legislation waned in favour of providing a schedule of local government areas and became mostly obsolete with the official creation of Greater London in 1965.

Well I cycled within a few yards of the cross so I guess my statement above stands.

And it was sunny with a pleasant breeze, and no wheezing (he said, to bend things back on-thread )

[Nick Armstrong]

the Royal Ordnance Corps had to explode a suspect device outside our house

That enormous box-set of Liszt you ordered, perhaps?

[vinteuil]

aaaah the joys of spring
here are some baby lambs to cheer you up

... mmmm - red currant jelly rather than mint sauce needed here I think. And I just happen to have a rather nice bottle of pomerol that wd go rather well ...

[Honoured Guest]

Yellow and gold? Or blue and black?

Or Saharan red?