Experts have revealed the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica has been growing at an alarming rate over the past few months, and it’s not stopping
A hole in the ozone layer has burst open – and scientists fear it is set to get even bigger.
Experts at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service have pulled back the lid on the growing hole in the Earth’s atmosphere. They have been measuring the concerning development over the last few months.
Back in August the hole in the ozone was growing at a “typical” rate, with the atmospheric puncture covering an area of around 5.79 square miles (15 million square km).
However since the end of summer the hole located above Antarctica has been growing at an increased speed.. Experts now believe it covers a massive 9.6 million square miles (25 million square km) after predictions made on 12 September. Laurence Rouil, Director of CAMS, has stressed the importance of the shocking findings.
He said: “These findings highlight the importance of monitoring the complicated interaction between human–made disturbances and natural factors.”
Mr Rouil added: “The Antarctic Ozone hole’s development can vary considerably from year to year, depending on a range of atmospheric and chemical factors.”
The ozone layer shields the Earth from most of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which is a major cause of skin cancer. Over the last 50 years man-made emissions have resulted in the ozone layer thinning.
The layer’s thinning is particularly bad over Antarctica as the hole reopens every austral spring (September to November). Researchers have stated the current hole in the ozone layer could have been caused by a sudden decrease in temperatures.
This is due to cold weather allowing clouds to form polar stratospheric clouds. These clouds can activate the chemical removal of Ozone by halogens in the presence of sunlight
Mr Rouil added: “While we have seen its area increase rapidly in early September this year, other indicators remain close to historical averages.”
The shocking development comes as the CAMS confirmed that last August was the warmest month recorded globally. Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at the European Centre for Medium–Range Weather Forecasts, explained the seriousness of the remarkable weather.
Burgess said: “August 2026 was a remarkable month in the global climate record. It was both the warmest August and the warmest month ever recorded, with global temperatures reaching 1.65°C above pre–industrial levels, marking the return of global temperatures above 1.5°C.
“Combined with record global sea surface temperatures and the warmest summer on record for Western Europe, these observations show how climate change is driving extremes across both the atmosphere and the oceans.
“The impacts of these conditions are increasingly being felt by communities, economies and ecosystems across the world.”