Headline:
Air Quality Alert: Five Bulgarian Cities Struggle with Hazardous Pollution Levels
Article:
In a worrying development, five Bulgarian cities have reported dangerous air pollution levels today, according to the European Air Quality Index. Throughout the night and this morning, there was a concentration of fine dust particles exceeding acceptable limits in Sofia, Pernik, Plovdiv, Shumen, and Pleven.
The most severe pollution in the capital was recorded in the "Bulgaria"</strong></p>”>Hipodruma" and "Pavlovo" districts. Sofia Municipality advises residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary during these hazardous conditions. "Avoid going out, wash more often, but remember that these measures can only be applied when weather permits. In the recent negative temperatures, we cannot fulfill these measures. Use public transport, not private vehicles," said Deputy Mayor of Sofia in charge of "Green System, Ecology, and Land Use" Nad Horizon Bocheva in an interview with bTV.
One of the reasons stations have recorded severe air pollution in recent days is the fog that traps fine dust particles in the air. According to meteorologist Anastasia Kirilova from NIMH, the persistent fog in Sofia is due to increased atmospheric pressure or a so-called atmospheric ridge. "This promotes the formation of an inversion layer in the atmosphere. In the lower layers, the temperature is lower, and in the upper layers, it is higher, which hinders natural ventilation, causing pollution to accumulate in areas with persistent fog. Persistent fog is expected to continue in the Sofia region today. However, it is also present in the regions of Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad, the Lower Thracian plain, and the Danube Plain," she said in an interview with "EuroNews Bulgaria."
Weather forecasts suggest that the fog will start to dissipate this weekend, with hopes that cleaner air will follow. Meanwhile, data from the Swiss company "AirVisual," which provides independent data on air pollution worldwide, shows that Hanoi, Vietnam, tops the list of the most polluted cities in the world.
The city has been shrouded in thick smog for weeks, prompting the local government to call for accelerating the transition to electric vehicles as part of efforts to reduce pollution. The high smog levels are primarily due to heavy traffic, coal-powered factories, and waste burning. The Vietnamese capital aims to have at least 50% of its buses and 100% of its taxis running on electricity by 2030.
