Extreme levels of pollution have prompted many European countries to initiate emergency measures across the continent, where a mixture of cold weather, lack of wind, and the burning of coal and wood to battle dropping temperatures have blanketed many regions with toxic smog.
On Tuesday, France, Britain, and Belgium issued warning for the elderly, children, and those with respiratory problems to stay indoors and avoid physical exertion.
In Paris, older model cars and vehicles with higher pollution emissions were ordered off the streets, and costs for public transport were reduced. The speed limit was also brought down in many parts of France.
In London, heavy smog canceled some 100 flights from Heathrow airport for the second consecutive day.
Pollution alerts were also issued for some 20 cities across Hungry, while in Budapest vehicles without catalytic converters have been banned from the roads until Wednesday.
An anti-smog plan was approved in Poland’s Krakow region that calls for changing the most polluting heating stoves by 2023. The country is also planning to halt the use of low-quality coal, which is currently used in over 70 percent of homes for heating.
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