GENEVA (AP) — The ozone hole over Antarctica grew to its largest size ever in September, covering an area two times the size of Europe, the World Meteorological Organization said Thursday.
Scientists expect the hole in the ozone — the protective layer that shields the earth from damaging ultraviolet rays — to grow each September because of temperature fluctuations.
But last month, it grew by more than 15 percent, exposing not only Antarctica but a huge swath of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, including the southern tip of South America, to harmful ultraviolet rays, WMO official Rumen Bojkov told a news conference Thursday.