Record depletion of Arctic ozone in past few days over Scandinavia

In early April 2011, ozone-depleted air masses extended from the north pole to southern Scandinavia leading to higher than normal levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation during sunny days in southern Finland. These air masses will move east over the next few days, covering parts of Russia and perhaps extending as far south as the Chinese/Russian border. Such excursions of ozone-depleted air may also occur over Central Europe and could reach as far south as the Mediterranean.
At an international press conference by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Vienna on April 5, atmospheric researcher Dr. Markus Rex from Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association (AWI) pointed out that the current situation in the Arctic ozone layer is unparalleled. He said:

Such massive ozone loss has so far never occurred in the northern hemisphere, which is densely populated even at high latitudes.

Bottom line: In early April 2011, there is an increased risk of sunburn at northerly latitudes, where sunburn would not be expected at this time of year, due to ozone-depleted air masses extended from the north pole to southern Scandinavia. The ozone-depleted air is leading to higher-than-normal levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation during sunny days in southern Finland, and might move into Russia, Europe, southern Canada and the northern U.S. in the coming days. Article posted here