The ozone hole over Antarctica is continuing to grow, according to figures released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Met Eireann, a part of the Global Ozone Monitoring System run by the WMO, said yesterday that the monthly mean for August saw a decline of between 15 to 20 per cent in total ozone levels over the southern polar region, relative to averages in the 1950s.
The greatest loss of ozone typically occurs during the Antarctic spring, running from September to December, and figures for this month already show that the hole is continuing to expand.