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Air Clears in Rome, Paris, and Madrid as Millions Stay Home

The coronavirus lockdown in Europe is leading to a drop in pollution that can be seen from space.

Bloomberg business news — Virus Pandemic Clears Skies, But Global Warming Continues

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March 27, 2020, 2:15 PM UTC

Air pollution in some of Europe’s major cities has dropped dramatically since governments ordered citizens to stay home to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Readings from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite show a significant decline in the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide over Rome, Madrid, and Paris, the first cities in Europe to implement strict quarantine measures. The images show average concentrations from March 14 to 25, compared with the monthly average concentrations from last year.