Ozone hole approaches record size

The hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica has grown to near-record size this year, suggesting 20 years of pollution controls have so far had little effect, the United Nations said.

In a bulletin on Friday on the seasonal depletion of ozone gas, which filters harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer and cataracts, the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said the hole would peak within a couple of weeks.