The hole in the ozone layer is healing, but extreme weather may be slowing progress down

A map shows the size and shape of the ozone hole over the South Pole on the day of its maximum extent in 2025. Moderate ozone losses (orange) are visible amid areas of more potent ozone losses (red). Scientists describe the ozone “hole” as the area in which ozone concentrations drop below the historical threshold of 220 Dobson units. The hole in the Earth's ozone layer is significantly smaller than it's been in recent history, but it is still far from fully healed, according to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO's) latest annual checkup.