Weather News

A breath of fresh air for Sydney

Tristan Meyers, Tuesday July 7, 2015 - 17:47 AEST

Over the last week, much of the southeast has been treated to cold, cloud-free nights with light winds. This was due to a large ridge of high pressure, dominating the synoptics across the southeast.

In this situation, pollution in the form of small particulates can get trapped and lay stagnant in and around major pollution hubs such as cities as it cannot mix with the atmosphere or be transported away.

Air quality is generally measured the Air Quality Index (AQI). A variety of different pollutant are measured when calculating this index, including levels of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and small, airbourne particles. A region's AQI is then determined based on the highest concentration of any one of these pollutants in that area.

Whether you realised it or not, air quality has been on the decline since Thursday 2nd. It reached its worst yesterday, with a regional air quality of poor across Sydney's Northwest and Southwest regions. This includes Camden, Liverpool, Richmond and Prospect. Poor air quality can aggravate those among us who suffer from respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Although the southerly change that Sydney experienced today may have rained on a few people's parades, it was indeed a breath of fresh air for the city. Today, air quality has since improved to a good rating and we can all breathe easier.

- Weatherzone

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