Can anyone else smell it?

This thread may well be in the wrong forum, if so, I would appreciate it if a Mod could move it.

Today I am in Scarborough in the North East of England.

This morning (08:50 approx) as I was walking into the town centre from the house I am in, I could smell something akin to the fumes given off by a large vehicle burning diesel fuel. The smell was so strong that it was like standing next to a bus that had rev'ved it's engine too much before moving off.

I assumed that it was some vehicle that had been in the area, until I walked across a foot bridge that doesn't go close enough to a road for the smell to be that strong... I could still smell this burned fuel smell.

I walked further and about a quarter of a mile away from the bridge could still smell this fuel-like smell.

I continued my day in the town and quickly forgot about the smell.

However, on my way home at 21:00 (approx), I could still smell the burned diesel fumes!

There is no way it could have been a vehicle in the area, and certainly no way that the smell could have lasted that long during the day as there has been a slight breeze today.

So does anyone have any ideas, or know something that could shed light on what this is?

To point out a couple of facts however:

1) It was a clear sunny day

2) There was a breeze

3) This smell could be detected both near and away from roads.

4) There was no smoke in the are, and the atmosphere looked 'clear' (no haze of any kind).

5) I could smell this thing very strongly.

6) Other people with me today could detect and even complained about the same smell.

7) Before someone makes a wise crack... - yes I did have a wash this morning!


Anyone got any ideas at all?

Congratulations, your city has developed its own cloud of smog!

Really, smog can envelop a location for some time, even with a breeze - especially when it's warm it can appear to fill the air everywhere. I don't smell it really, but that's largely because I'm right in it. I do notice it however when I get in a place where it's even worse (Rome, Athens, Budapest, any real big city will do).

If it's not like smog, I'd say there's some fuel-burning going on nearby ;]

Can smell it really strong below Dallas. Ugh, it's awful.

We have a lot of skunks to, so it's altogether better to drive with all the windows up!

All I can think of is a spill.

Not having any idea about the terrain, maybe a spill in a swampy area?

reply to post by scraze


I initially thought of smog, but the town is on the coast, and the air was clear.

Whenever I have seen fuel burned in the past, I have always seen it produce a cloud of smoke... there wasn't a plume of smoke anywhere.

There are several vantage points around the town that allow you to look out over the town (Olivers' Mount, etc.) and from there there was no smoke, no haze, and the air looked clear.

I've seen smog before and you could see it in the air... this was just odd.

Also the amount of traffic in the town was very low this morning.

reply to post by Republican08


What part of Dallas are you in?

It hasn't reached me yet but I'll just keep watching this video till it finally hits.

Nope, no smell here yet in NC....the winds must have shifted

but it sounds like it is an awful stench, much like the time my neighbor burnt the disposable diapers in his trash can. Now that was a fierce odor

I doubt that it will reach any state in USA... I'm in the North East of England... UK.