The hole in the ozone layer is healing, but extreme weather may be slowing progress down
Climate change, driven by humans, is making extreme weather more commonplace
The hole in the Earth's protective ozone layer is smaller than it has been in recent years, according to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) latest annual checkup. However, extreme weather caused by climate change may be slowing down this healing process. The ozone layer, which resides roughly nine miles above Earth's surface, was damaged by human-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
This damage led to the formation of the ozone hole, a region that absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In response to this threat, nations signed the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which banned CFCs and started the recovery of the ozone layer. While the hole is smaller than its average size between 1990 and 2020, scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, caution against overoptimism.
This year, the ozone hole reached its lowest point in September, but other indicators remain close to historical averages. This year marks the second consecutive year with positive change in the ozone layer, but there are still warning signs. The level of ozone was below average across a large area extending from Greenland and Europe into Central Asia, Japan, and the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
This anomaly is attributed to a strong Arctic winter vortex in January and February 2025. Consequently, experts warn that more frequent extreme weather events may lead to further anomalies in the ozone layer in the future.
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