Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
Or call 0345 90 80 161
12 September 2011 13:47
Smoke rises from a marsh fire in New Orleans
Britons with asthma travelling to eastern New Orleans have been warned about the effects of smoke from a marsh fire following air quality concerns.
The areas is being closely monitored by Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which has declared an "air quality precaution" to handle the situation.
The smoke alert is now covering towns 100 miles from New Orleans as the levels of particulate matter 2.5 - particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter - have significantly increased.
This highlights the need for adequate medical travel insurance that covers expenses for pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma while travelling to New Orleans.
DEQ officials have urged people to cancel outdoor activities because of smoke which has spread across the area increasing possible health issues.
Rodney Mallett, from DEQ said: "Air monitors in the New Orleans area have had readings of particulate matter ranging from normal to unhealthy, according to the Air Quality Index scale. These readings vary from location to location because of wind direction."
Mr Mallett said the pollution from smoke is at "orange level", which is unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, the elderly and people suffering from respiratory diseases.
He also said smoke that shrouded the city on Monday was so bad they had to issue a "red level" alert, which is considered unhealthy for everyone.
02 March 2019
A Flybe flight was forced to abort take-off due to the cabin filling with "smoke" while it was accelerating along the runway at Exeter Airport.
[more...]
01 March 2019
Holidaymakers will soon be able to take advantage of the first direct flight from London to Scotland's Western Isles after Loganair announced three new routes.
28 February 2019
Over one in five women in the UK wrongly think a smear test can detect ovarian cancer, new research has revealed.
27 February 2019
One in 10 UK adults over the age of 40 is living with Type 2 diabetes, new analysis suggests - but the real figure could be much higher.
26 February 2019
British Airways has revealed the second of its series of retro liveries being recreated as part of the airline's 100th birthday celebrations.
23 February 2019
The price of a prescription in England is set to rise again, the Government has announced, in a move some campaigners have called disappointing.
22 February 2019
Just half an hour of exercise every morning could be as effective as drugs at lowering daily blood pressure, research suggests.
21 February 2019
A British man accidentally used the wrong passport to fly from Prague to the UK, leaving his friend stranded in the Czech capital.
19 February 2019
Hundreds of passengers have had their travel plans cancelled following the collapse of airline flybmi.
16 February 2019
Holidaymakers were left fuming after a "lack of clarity" over Brexit led a Romanian airline to cancel flights from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
15 February 2019
British Airways celebrated Valentine's Day with a special flight where all members of the cabin crew were couples who work for the airline.
14 February 2019
The "concerning" level of stigma surrounding the human papilloma virus (HPV) could be putting some women off going for vital check-ups, campaigners are warning.