Clinics in the capital Skopje are seeing a flood of new patients after the spike in air pollution.

Skopje and other cities in Macedonia, where wood is often used as primary source of heating have a huge pollution problem each winter. The unusually warm weather postponed the crisis this year, but now it has begun in full.

Skopje was the third worst polluted city in the world, behind Lahore and New Delhi.

The patients are complaining about cough, difficult breathing.. Some are chronic patients who have seen their situation get worse, but we also have first time patients, said Dejan Dokic, head of the Skopje pulmology clinic, which is seeing a large spike in new patients. Citizens are advised to stay indoors, or get out of the capital, if possible.