Ozone hole in 2025 was one of the smallest in decades

Ozone hole in 2025 was one of the smallest in decades
Earth's ozone hole in 2025 was one of the smallest it has been in decades, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Wednesday.
It was the second consecutive year that both the depth and extent of the ozone hole were significantly below the 1990-2010 average, according to the UN agency's latest ozone bulletin, issued on World Ozone Day. 
Last year's ozone hole ranked as the fourth to fifth smallest since severe depletion patterns were observed in 1992, the organization said.
This was partly due to natural atmospheric phenomena that lead to annual fluctuations, the WMO said.
But the decisive factor has been the reduction of man-made, ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) over the past decades. These were once used in refrigerators, air conditioners, fire-fighting foam and hairspray.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said it was an environmental success story.
'Since 2000, the ozone layer has been recovering, and we can expect full recovery within several decades.'
In 1985, the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was adopted, followed later by the Montreal Protocol.
According to the WMO, the provisions have since led to the phase-out of more than 99% of regulated ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs.
A thin ozone layer allows more harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun to reach the Earth. For humans this can cause skin damage or skin cancer, as well as cataracts.
In parts of Europe, UV radiation has increased by as much as 20% since the mid-1990s, the WMO said.
Ground-based measurements showed that this had been driven primarily by a reduction in cloud cover and an accompanying increase in annual sunshine duration. 
'In light of this trend, targeted and effective UV protection measures are of paramount importance,' the WMO said.