1950s: The Great Smog, London, UK

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1950s: The Great Smog, London, UK Another dramatic weather event saw post-war Britain suffer more causalities, when a toxic smog choked London on 5 December 1952. The smog, a result of fog combining with sulfurous coal smoke, could not disperse upwards due to a high-pressure weather system trapping the stagnant and soot-laden air. It lasted for five days, paralyzed the city and is thought to have led to the premature deaths of at least 4,000 people. The Clean Air Act was introduced as a direct result of the crisis.

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