OZONE HOLE WAS SMALLER LAST YEAR THAN IN PREVIOUS DECADES

GENEVA, SEPTEMBER 16 /SRNA/ - The ozone hole over the Earth was at its smallest in several decades last year, the World Meteorological Organization /WMO/ said today.

In its report published on the occasion of World Ozone Day, the WMO noted that, for the second consecutive year, the depth and size of the ozone hole were significantly smaller than during the period from 1990 to 2010.

According to WMO data, the ozone hole was four to five times smaller last year than it was in 1992.

"This is partly due to a natural atmospheric phenomenon that caused year-to-year variation. However, the decisive factor over the past few decades has been the reduction in ozone depletion caused by human-produced substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons /CFCs/, which were once used in refrigerators, air conditioners, fire-fighting foams and hairspray," the statement said.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo described it as a successful environmental story, German news agency DPA reported.

She stressed that the ozone layer has been recovering since 2000 and that full recovery can be expected in the coming decades.