Smog warnings will be rare

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 9

Smog warnings will be rare

Only about 20 Christchurch, nights in a winter have a pol- ' lution potential high enough, for the City Council to encou-1 rage residents to avoid light-! ing open fires, and turn to other heating methods, according to the Meteorological! Office. Each afternoon this winter, i the Meteorological Office will forecast whether the weather I will be such as to bring about low, moderate, or high airpollution levels. The forecasts will be carried on radio and television, and provide a guide for' people to help cut down on i the over-all smoke load' caused when a temperature! inversion bottles up dirty' air: and holds it close to the. ground.

, The Chief City Health InI spector (Mr A. P. Millthorpe) ! said that Christchurch : was lucky to escape usually the cumulative ! effects of such inversions, since it was normal for the [air to be “flushed out” each [morning by changing winds. I The city would seldom inherit i the previous night’s pollution for another day. , Councillor Newton Dodge ; said there would have to be a [very strong response to the ' call to cut down on the use of [open fires for such action to I show up in the next day’s ‘24-hour pollution reading. ! If no alternative heating to ; ■the open fire was available during periods of high- [ i pollution potential, he said, [residents could at least turn ito less-polluting coke.