Large hole in ozone layer discovered above Baltic states

An enormous hole in the ozone layer has been discovered above Estonia and the Baltic states. According to the Narva newspaper, the ozone layer is usually 300-400 Dobson units thick but it is only 200 units thick above Estonia now, according to NASA maps. The size of the hole is second only to the one located above the South Pole which poses no direct threat to human lives.

According to Margus Kert, deputy director of the Estonian centre for ecological research, holes in the ozone layer above Estonia are unusual and normally only occur in October and November. Although the situation is not drastic, it is possible that new holes will appear above the region over the next two months, he said.

'Fortunately, holes in the ozone layer never appear in Spring when the sun is most intense,' Mr Kert said. The ozone layer protects people from ultraviolet rays and when the ozone layer is reduced by 10% the risks of skin cancer rise by 26%.