Huge brown cloud

last updated 8 January 2015

New Delhi

A dense cloud of smog nearly 2 miles thick hovers over much of Asia, changing weather patterns and making thousands of people sick, according to a U.N. study released this week. The study by 200 scientists said the “Asian Brown Cloud” is trapping heat and altering rainfall, causing droughts in some areas and floods in others. “This growing cocktail of soot, particles, aerosols, and other pollutants is becoming a major environmental hazard,” said U.N. Environment Program director Klaus Töpfer. Scientists blame the smog on the rise of Asian megacities such as New Delhi, Beijing, and Singapore, which spew tons of exhaust fumes and coal dust.