Brits warned about potential symptoms with toxic cloud dangerous to humans on way to UK

The sixth eruption of an Icelandic volcano since December is sending a cloud of toxic gas that's going through the atmosphere above the UK.

This volcanic gas is sulphur dioxide, a rather harmful thing which can be hazardous to your health.

According to the CDC, sulphur dioxide has a 'strong, stinging odour', so you'll know it when you smell it.

Burning coal is the main cause of sulphur dioxide pollution, but this time it has come from a volcano. (Peter Cade/Getty Images)

Interestingly enough, some foods and drinks use trace amounts of it as a preservative, so you've likely consumed it already at some point in your life.

Exposure to much higher quantities can cause irritation to your nose, eyes, throat and lungs.

You could expect to suffer from a sore throat, runny nose, burning eyes and a cough, though an inhalation of high levels of sulphur dioxide could cause swelling in your lungs and give you difficulty breathing.

Asthmatics may feel the symptoms more acutely.

Getting sulphur dioxide on your skin could also cause irritation and burning, while in serious cases, it could blind you given enough contact with the eyes.

Permanent damage is possible, but fortunately the amount going over the UK and the exposure the Met Office is predicting means that Brits ought to be fine in this case.

Sulphur dioxide is an irritant to the skin, eyes and respiratory system. It can leave you with permanent damage, though the toxic cloud going over the UK is unlikely to do that. (Getty Stock Photo)

The Met Office has issued a statement explaining that the sulphur dioxide is 'having little influence on ground-level air quality'.

They'll keep monitoring the situation, but currently they expect the level of impact to air pollution to remain low.

A Met Office spokesperson told LADbible: "A sulphur dioxide plume which originated from the volcano in Iceland has been crossing the UK high up in the atmosphere and will clear to the southeast in the coming hours.

"Impacts have been low from this sulphur dioxide, as it is high in the atmosphere and is having little influence on ground-level air quality.

"Small concentrations at surface level mean that the air pollution levels remain low.

"Air pollution is currently Low, and expected to remain that way for the whole of the UK today.

"We’re continuing to monitor any sulphur dioxide release originating from Iceland, with current forecasts suggesting little influence on UK surface air pollution in the coming days."

Basically, we ought to be largely alright since the sulphur dioxide is high above us in the atmosphere and doesn't appear to be having much impact on the air we actually breathe.

Well, there's some good news for you this bank holiday weekend.