Record low temperatures are threatening the ozone layer over the North Pole, reports CNN.

Record low temperatures over the North Pole are thinning the protective ozone layer, a condition which could affect human health in northern countries and even central European nations, the European Union warned Monday.

"Large ozone losses are expected to occur if the cold conditions persist," said European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik.

He said the first signs of ozone loss have been observed after an extremely harsh winter above the Arctic.

The ozone layer keeps out ultraviolet radiation, which is dangerous to humans and animals. Less protection could increase risks of skin cancer and affect biodiversity, scientists say.

Because of the record lows over the Arctic, scientists have been put on alert to monitor closely the condition of the ozone layer over the coming months.

"The meteorological conditions we are now witnessing resemble and even surpass the conditions of the 1999-2000 winter -- when the worst ozone loss to date was observed," said Dr. Neil Harris of the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit in Britain.

He said temperatures at a 20 kilometer (12 mile) height had dropped to an average of minus 80 degrees Celsius (minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit), the lowest over the Arctic in half a century.

We'd better do something quick. Maybe if we released large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, we could create a sort of greenhouse effect to warm up the poles.